Kyra Harris Bolden, a former Michigan State Representative, made history when she was sworn in as the Michigan Supreme Court’s first black female justice. On Sunday, January 1, 2023, the 34-year-old became the court’s youngest justice in its 185-year existence, according to CNN. The announcement comes after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in November 2022 that Bolden will replace Justice Bridget McCormack, who has retired. McCormack will take over as CEO of the American Arbitration Association-International Center for Dispute Resolution in New York. Kyra Harris Bolden is married and the mother of one daughter.
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Everything there is to know about Kyra Harris Bolden’s spouse and profession.
Kyra Harris Bolden was born on July 31, 1988, in Southfield, Michigan. She is a lawyer by trade, having earned a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Gregory Bolden II, a dentist in Detroit, Michigan, is her husband. According to his DocSpot biography, he graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. He also works for the Veterans Health Administration (VA) at the Detroit VA Medical Center.
Kyra Harris Bolden was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2018, according to theGrio. According to ABC 24 News, while studying for her college degree, Bolden learned about her great-grandfather, Jesse Lee Bond, who was hanged to death in Tennessee in the 1930s. Ronald Morris, Bond’s nephew, said that the murderers castrated and abandoned his uncle in the Hatchie River. Bolden reported to Michigan Radio that Bond’s killers escaped free, and his death was declared an accidental drowning. She told the Free Press that the terrible experience inspired her to pursue a career in law.
Earlier, in an interview with the journal, John Johnson Jr., executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, commended Bolden’s abilities and leadership characteristics.
“Her trial experience as a criminal defense attorney, her leadership on vital public issues, and her commitment to justice — the legacy of her own great-lynching grandfather’s — will guide her choices and move the court closer to attaining equal justice for all.”
According to the Detroit News, Bolden remarked that her appointment to the state’s highest court would provide equitable access to justice, the application of the law without fear or favor, and the treatment of individuals with respect and dignity. According to Mid Michigan Now:
“I know what is expected of the people of Michigan, and I know what the people of Michigan deserve, which is a hardworking Justice who takes the time to make well-reasoned and careful judgments.”
Kyra Harris Bolden will have to run for office twice to finish McCormack’s eight-year term: first in the November 2024 special election to serve out the balance of McCormack’s term and again in the November 2028 regular election.
