When Pittsburgh Police Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant told women at the National Organization of Black Women in Law Enforcements Criminal Justice luncheon to stand if they were ever the first woman or African-American to hold a certain position in law enforcement, more than half of the room ended up on their feet.
The theme for our 22nd annual training conference is Women in Law EnforcementCelebrating Our Strengths, Embracing Our Differences, said Bryant. Our strength is shown by where we have come, how we have overcome obstacles and how we have proven ourselves over and over and over again.
The acknowledgement during the Aug. 16 luncheon was only one of the many moments NOBWLEs conference took to recognize the work of Black female officers. The three-day event invited guests from throughout the country to take part in training workshops, networking events and tributes in honor of the past and present accomplishments of women in law enforcement.
Its a celebration to see so many women in law enforcement, said Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper. I was about the third class to come out of the city of Pittsburgh with women police officers joining the Pittsburgh Police Bureau, and over the years we have seen a decline in the number of women coming into law enforcement. But this conference is rejuvenating.
I think its nice to think about how far weve come and I think we have to think about how far we have to go. But when Im sitting in a group like this, what I know is that our successes are making things better for us and for our children and their children, said Judge Donna Jo McDaniel, who served as the events mistress of ceremonies.
I think this group gives new meaning to the phrase, To protect and serve.
While it praised current accomplishments, the event also encouraged women to move up the ranks within their respective professions. Keynote speeches delivered by Bryant, Sylvia Gibson, deputy superintendent of SCI Somerset and Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan discussed obstacles each woman faced on their journey towards being some of the most important law enforcement figures in the state and encouraged women to forge alliances to help each other advance.
When I graduated from law school 20 years ago this year, shortly after graduation I received an application from the Womens Bar Association, said Buchanan.
I thought, Wait a minute. I graduated from law school, just like all the men in my classwhy do I need the Womens Bar Association? Im not a woman lawyer, Im a lawyer. But it didnt take long after beginning to practice that I recognized that there is definitely a need for professional organizations for women, for minorities, because we often dont have the same types of networking systems that men do.
NOBWLE President and Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. RaShall Brackney echoed those sentiments and also expressed a desire to see NOBWLE grow nationally. Although the annual conference had a strong showing of 65 attendees, with one guest flying in all the way from Hawaii, the organization itself has only four chapters in Maryland, Newark, N.J., Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
I think its absolutely imperative that we continue to branch out so that women on the west coast and in the south who are interested in starting branches can have the same type of support systems that we have in the northeast or the east coast, said Brackney.
Reprinted with permission of the New Pittsburgh Courier.
Editors note: Many of the members of NOBWLE are NOBLE members. The organization was formed by female members of NOBLE who felt that the needs of African-American women in law enforcement were not being addressed. NOBWLE is devoted to furthering the hiring, training, retention and promotion of black females in Law enforcement. NOBWLE promotes a spirit of professionalism by preparing women through education and training to keep abreast of current theories and Techniques.
