Kyra Harris Bolden ’10 likes to say an injustice that happened to her
family three generations ago fueled her to go to law school, which led
to her appointment last fall as a justice on Michigan's Supreme Court.
The injustice Bolden referred to was the 1939 lynching of her
great-grandfather in Tennessee, after he asked a store owner for a receipt.
"I feel a sense of pride in how far my family has been able to
come in a few generations," said Bolden. "I say we went from
lynching to law school, from injustice to Justice, with a capital 'J.'
"It's a feat. My grandmother has a college degree. When I was a
preteen, my mother instilled going to college in myself and my sister.
So, I have a lot of pride in the progress we made but still realize
how far we have to go."
Kyra Harris Bolden stands with her family outside the Michigan
Supreme Court Chambers. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is at far left, and
former Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
are at far right.
Bolden earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Grand Valley in
2010 and later a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit
Mercy School of Law. After being appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer,
Bolden joined the state supreme court in January and is the first
Black woman in Michigan's history to hold that seat.
Bolden is not new to Lansing. She served two terms as a state
representative for the 35th District, which includes her hometown of
Southfield. Bolden said she approached her new role on the court in
the same fashion she did while serving in the state House.
"It's always been really important to me to build relationships.
My work ethic is going to show but my goal when I first got to the
Capitol was to meet as many people as possible," she said.
"That was my goal: to have conversations and get to know people,
then figure out what things we could work on together."
In Lansing, and before in her work as a criminal defense attorney,
Bolden said serving her community had always given her sense of
belonging. The first time she worked to find a community, she said,
was at Grand Valley.
"I felt imposter syndrome when I first arrived at Grand Valley;
it was the first time where I was the minority. Growing up in
Southfield, I lived in a very diverse community and my schools were
diverse," she said.
Bolden quickly found a community on campus. Joining a sorority, Alpha
Kappa Alpha, helped as did joining other student organizations. The
strong connection Bolden had with a faculty member led to advice
prompting Bolden to consider law school.
"I was having a quarter-life crisis, as many people do, at the
end of my college career. Here I was about to receive a psychology
degree, but I felt I should be doing something different," she said.
Kathleen Blumreich, retired professor of English, noted Bolden's work
ethic and strong sense of justice and suggested she begin applying to
law schools.
"Professor Blumreich was definitely one of the people who
provided validation during my decision-making process," Bolden
said. "Being that age and having to change your path was really a
big decision. I had never thought about law school before Grand
Valley, so I was really thankful for her mentorship."
Bolden returned to campus in March as the keynote speaker for EqualiTEA, a
signature event for the Center for Women and Gender Equity.
After graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law,
Bolden worked as a defense attorney and later a law clerk in Wayne
County’s Third Circuit Court for the Honorable John A. Murphy.
Active in numerous community organizations, Bolden was approached in
2012 by a campaign worker who asked if she would join the volunteer
staff for Bridget Mary McCormack's initial run for the state supreme court.
"I got to meet Bridget and speak with her. She is such a caring
human and I thought, 'That's exactly who we need on the Michigan
Supreme Court.' So I joined her campaign," Bolden said.
McCormack retired late last year as the court's chief justice. In a
full-circle moment, McCormack stood on stage with Bolden during her
inauguration on January 1. "She robed me, took the robe off her
back and put it on me and zipped me up," Bolden said.
The habit of saying yes has stuck with Bolden. It was former U.S.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence who asked Bolden to consider running for state
supreme court in the 2022 general election. More people began asking
the same question. Bolden agreed to run, she said, because of her
belief that the court should represent Michigan's diversity and
because of her young daughter, Emerson.
"It's important for my daughter to see not just me but other
people in positions of power who really care about people, who are
empathetic, who are compassionate and who are working for
progress," Bolden said. "It doesn't always have to be me,
but I do hope she grows up in a world where she sees people in
leadership positions who look like her. That centers me, every day."
Kyra Harris Bolden stands outside the chambers of the Michigan
Supreme Court. The Michigan State Capitol can be seen through the
windows at the Michigan Hall of Justice. (Kendra Stanley-Mills)
