By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
“Let me start with the story of a little girl from Alabama,” said Houston METRO Police Chief Vera Bumpers to more than 150 attendees at the 12th annual Grand Rapids Legacy Luncheon on Feb. 5 at New Hope Baptist Church.
“This little girl would travel in the car with her family and during those travels they would be stopped by police officers,” she said. “During those travels, they would be hungry or need to go to the bathroom and their father would stop and ask if they could use the bathroom, and the people would say ’no.’
“And one day, the little girl finally asked her father why he did not stand up against these people and the officers and he said ‘because I needed to protect my family.’”
Looking back at this story – her story – Bumpers said she believes it was the reason why she chose the career path she did – law enforcement. She broke barriers becoming the first African-American female on the Houston METRO Transit Authority Police Department, the largest and oldest transit law enforcement agency in Texas. This paved the way to her becoming METRO’s first female to attain the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Assistant Chief. Two weeks after being named Assistant Chief, Bumpers would break the brass ceiling, being named as Chief, the first African American female to serve in this role.
Her reason for following that career path is her belief that the interactions between law officials and the public were important. She created the cooperative urban policing which includes strategies on addressing innate bias, peer accountability and law enforcement responsibility. She has become a sought out speaker about the program.
“We all have the responsibility that there is equity in the treatment of everyone,” Bumpers said to the crowd. “We all owe that to the next generation.”
This belief is also the reason why she joined the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), which she was inducted as the organizations 42nd president this past August. Started in 1976, NOBLE was founding on the idea that black law enforcement executives could have a significantly more effective impact on the criminal justice system through a unified voice. Today, the organization serves as the conscience of the law enforcement by being committed to Justice by Action. NOBLE has nearly 60 chapters — including the West Michigan NOBLE Chapter — representing more than 3,000 members worldwide. Bumpers said membership is open to both law enforcement officials and civilians. For more on NOBLE, click here.
Bumpers served as the keynote speaker to the annual luncheon, hosted by Kentwood’s JA PR Group. The luncheon is a tribute to Black History Month. The annual event commemorates the scholarship recipients, recognize community leaders and celebrates the community. The Legacy Events has awarded more than $110,000 to students in scholarships across the State of Michigan.
This year, at the Legacy Luncheon, a check of $1,500 was presented to the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund of the Michigan Education Trust. According to Michigan Education Trust Executive Director Robin R. Lott, the Fostering Futures Scholarship assists former foster care students with college expenses. The fund recently was added to the list of charitable organizations that residents can donate their tax refunds to, Lott noted, adding that there is a fundraising luncheon for the fund set for June 26 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
Serving as masters of ceremony were Jeremiah White Jr. and Lee Stephen of “The Afternoon Throw Down Show” on Magic 104.9. Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and Our Daily Bread Ministries Pastor and Manager of North American Outreach Clarkston Morgan offered the prayer and Kentwood’s The Candid Yam provided the lunch.
