Black History Month: U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood

Part of a series celebrating Black History Month, WWJ Newsradio 950 shines the spotlight on a woman who has risen to become the new chief judge of federal court.

U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood, who is settling in as the new Chief Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, took WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas through her robing room and up a few stairs into what's called "the million dollar courtroom."

"I don't know if there's settling in," Hood told Thomas. "I think there's gearing up, because there are lots of issues in the court that come to me that I never had to deal with before."

Hood oversees only the federal court in downtown Detroit but courthouses in Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Bay City and Flint.

In the latter city, she's dealing with issues related to the water crisis.

"We have two judges and a magistrate judge up there, plus we have staff up there as well. GSA, which runs our building, has been providing bottled water to them," Hood said.

How did she get where she is? Hood said her parents stressed the importance of education.  She received her undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1974.

"There was a group that entered before me as freshman — and then I was the second group of entering freshman — as women. I think we forget it used to be all male institution. And then I went to Columbia's law school."

In 1994, Hood was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton.

"I think my family really expected that I would go out an represent our family," Hood said. "And to me that meant you always had to do the best job you can."

WWJ celebrates Black History Month by recognizing our local young African American professionals and their heroes – you can hear these reports throughout the day: 6:20 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 3:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. Read more now at this link.