HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s courts are going to be a lot more diverse thanks to a group of 17 African-American women and their “magic.”
The women, who were part of an effort dubbed the “Black Girl Magic” campaign, were all elected Tuesday to be judges in various courts in Harris County, which includes Houston.
This photo provided by the Harris County Democratic Party shows a group of 17 African-American women whom are part of an effort dubbed the “Black Girl Magic” campaign. It is the largest number of African-American women on any ballot in the history of Harris County, where Houston is located. In the photo are the 17 women who won election and two others who are currently judges in Harris County but lost bids on Tuesday to win seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Tuesday’s election brings to 19 the number of African-American women who will be judges in Harris County. Front row, leaning against the podium from left, are Maria Jackson and Ramona Franklin. Back row, from left, are Lucia Bates, Erica Hughes, Sandra Peake, Cassandra Holleman, Germaine Tanner, Ronnisha Bowman, Linda Marie Dunson, Angela Graves-Harrington, Dedra Davis, Shannon Baldwin, Latosha Lewis Payne, Tonya Jones, Sharon Burney, Michelle Moore, Lori Chambers Gray, Toria Finch and LaShawn Williams. Maria Jackson and Ramona Franklin in front row are the two women who are currently judges but lost bids to win seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. (Christin Mcqueen/Harris County Democratic Party via AP)
Lori Chambers Gray, a Houston defense attorney who among those who was elected, says she hopes the “Black Girl Magic” campaign’s success inspires other women to run for office.
Those behind the campaign say it was part of an effort to broaden the diversity of the area’s judiciary and ensure that more racial minorities can bring their backgrounds and life experiences to the bench and better reflect the diversity of the nation’s fourth largest city.
