WHIO: First Black woman elected to Dayton Municipal Court reflects on 42 years behind the bench

Cincinnati Law alumna Alice McCollum, '72, is the subject of a profile on WHIO-TV7 examining her life and 42 year career as a judge in Montgomery County.

McCollum, who was appointed to the Dayton Municipal Court when she was 31 years old, was the first woman, and first Black woman, to hold that position, breaking 65 years of precedence of male judges. She presided in that position for 24 years, developing a reputation for helping out defendants facing charges she thought were unfair, reports WHIO-TV7. 

McCollum would go on to serve for 18 years as a judge on Montgomery County's Probate Court. While campaigning for that seat, she was often thanked for her work on the Municipal Court, which made her realize the difference she'd made in people's lives, she said.

“So I’m thinking ‘maybe I shouldn’t win this, maybe I shouldn’t go to probate court. Maybe I need to stay where I am because I’m obviously making an impact and improving people’s lives,’ which is what I really wanted to do in the first place,” McCollum said.

Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, in the era of segregation and Jim Crow laws, she often faced blatant discrimination and bias, including from professors and classmates. Today, McCollum says she encourages young people, especially those of color, to get an education and study hard.

“It's like, find something that you have a passion for and do it, and do it well so that you can succeed and feel successful," said McCollum. "I think part of achieving is feeling like you’re achieving. Y’know, its like feeling like you belong.” 

Read the full profile of Judge Alice McCollum on WHIO-TV7.