Meet the youngest and first black justice of the Michigan Supreme Court

Kyra Harris Bolden made history when she was sworn in as an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court on January 1, 2023, becoming, at age 34, the youngest and first Black woman to serve on the state’s highest court.

“My family went from lynching to law school and from injustice to a capital J, which stands for justice,” Bolden told ESSENCE. While attempting to work out her post-graduation plans, she made the decision to go to law school after an enlightening conversation with the head of her family.

“At the end of my studies, my great-grandmother told me the story of my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather, Jesse Lee Bond, was lynched in Tennessee in 1939 after asking a store owner for a receipt. He was beaten, castrated and thrown into a local river. The coroner ruled it an accidental drowning, and his murderers went free. This injustice led me to pursue a career in law. I wanted other families to see justice in a way that my family didn’t see justice,” Bolden explained.

After graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2014, Bolden began her legal profession working as a civil lawyer in Lansing, a staff attorney for the third District.^R&D Wayne County Circuit Court and in Southfield as a public defender in criminal cases. Bolden then successfully ran for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2018 and was re-elected to a second term in 2020.

Bolden isn’t any stranger to hoarding praise, because in 2019 it had “the most bills passed by any freshman representative.” She made history once more just 4 years later when Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed her to the Michigan Supreme Court, stating that “Kyra has been committed to fighting for justice for generations, and I do know she is going to serve Michigan splendidly as she builds a brighter future for her newborn daughter and all our kids.” This was eighty-four years after Bolden’s great-grandfather was lynched.

“I’m honored and it still feels surreal to be the first black woman on the highest court because now there are so many boys and girls who have something to aspire to because they can now see themselves in a position of power,” Bolden said. “It’s one of those moments that helps you see and learn what’s possible. I do know the burden of this work and its importance. My goal has all the time been to lift weights while climbing. I could also be the first, but I won’t be the last.”

Bolden explained how she has long realized the importance of representation, sharing, “I used to be working on an after-school program in college and at some point somewhat girl who looked like me got here as much as me and said, ‘Miss Kyra, Miss Kyra, perhaps girls go to varsity? And I checked out her and said, “Yes.” I’m a lady and I’m studying. And the little girl turns to the girl next to her and says, “See, I told you.” It’s hard to be what you possibly can’t see. In that moment, I understood the true meaning and impact of representation.

At a time when states like South Carolina are regressing and losing black members of the court, Bolden decided to run re-election to maintain his seat on the Michigan Supreme Court. “Because I do know this institution was not meant for me, I’m committed to identifying the systemic barriers that exist that may allow me to grow to be the first Black woman on the court in 2023. This is obligatory to offer more diversity on the pitch and bench.

“As the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court and the great-granddaughter of a lynching victim, I believe that justice is a personal matter,” Bolden said. “Decisions made by Supreme Courts at both the national and state levels have generational impacts. Across all state supreme courts, only 17 percent of justices are Black, Latino, Asian or Native American, which is why this is important to Michigan, and state supreme courts across the country reflect everyone’s diverse perspectives and experiences. I am fighting for justice for today and justice for generations.”