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NEWS/ilie Ctitblte $iit
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Women overcome race and gender bias to succeed
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Deputy Chief Nina Wright ini
tially thought she couldn’t handle the physical demands of
law enforcement. Seeing other women in uniform changed
her mind.
Continued from page 1A
Lee Aiiustrong president of
the North Carolina
Association of Broadcasters,
has worked in the television
bixsiness for 36 years. She’s
seen a lot of change for
women and minorities.
“It feels like a long time Jigo
when this industry was male
dominated,” said Armstrong,
vice president and general
manger at WSOC-TV “It
seems to me...when I got into
the business, there were
more men in the industry
than women, especially in
leadership, but I’ve seen that
change at a more accelerated
rate.”
“Our business is a reflection
of the comniunities served,”
said Armstrong. “As commu
nities have diversified and
progressed...on air personali
ties have reflected that diver
sity”
Thompson started her
career at Charlotte’s WBTV
in 1977, but not without some
bvmips on the road. In 1979,
she was the first black
woman to anchor in
Charlotte, working on “The
Good Morning Show” with
Jim Patterson, and “Tbp ‘O
the Day”
“It was not easy for women
in general,” said Thompson.
Black women, specifically,
were faced with issues
regarding their hair. 'Tliough
a self-proclaimed “pemi
lady”, Thompson saw others
struggle- “There v/ere clauses
in contracts about what they
could do with their hair,” said
Thompson. “I though they’re
looking at more superficially,
they’re more concerned with
o\ir looks than what’s said.”
While 'Thompson made her
way on television, it was
through television Nina
Wright fii'st developed an
interest in the law enfoi-ce-
ment field.
“I watched ‘Adam-12,’
‘Dragnet’ and ‘Perry Mason’,”
she said. “I wanted to do what
they Wei'S doing. I’d ride
aroimd on my tiicycle...mak
ing sh'en noises...and I’d
make my fiiends be the bad
guys. Myintei'est was piqued
very eai'ly”
Howevei; Wright was side
tracked fix)m hei* goals when
a lack of “us” made her think
twice about policing.
“I saw taU, white males,
with a stocky build,” said
Wright. “I thought maybe
they didn’t let us be police
officers. I grew up to be 5-2
1/2, I figiu'ed I would get
laughed at.”
Wriglit initially went into
banking, but after a divoi'ce,
needed a second job. As, a
night auditor at a hotel, she
met a moonli^ting Chai'lotte
police officei' and asked ques
tions. 'Tlie office!' suggested
industries, but each admits
that they could not have done
it without the strength of
their families or the help of
others.
“The community has gotten
used to females in law
enforcement,” said Wright.
“We don’t have as. many
[black female executives] as
I’d like to see...but we’re pro
gressing as well as we can. ”
Thompson feels there is still
a lot of work that needs to be
done. •
“The day I say Tve made it,
is the day I get bored with
myself I had never done
radio before...but I wfll be
back in television,”
Wright try law enforcement.
“Look at me,” said Wright,
‘T can’t.”
The next night three white
women officers came to the
hotel. “I decided I could take
all three of them,” said
Wright. “What he did by
parading them through the
door was all I needed.”
According to Marita
Bryant, committee chairper
son with the National
Organization of Black Law
Enforcement Executives, the
first black woman officer was
hired in Los Armies arormd
1919.
Prior to 1972, women were
required to have a college
degree, while them male
counterparts only needed a
high school diploma. Women
usually were assigned to the
women’s bureau or the juve
nile imit.
“Beginning in 1972, women
started to work in a patrol
role...wearing skirts and high
heel shoes...doing the same
job as men,” said Bryant. .
Wright started with the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Police Department in 1986 as
an officer. In just 15 years,
Wright rose thi'ough the
ranks to deputy chief, becom
ing the first woman to hold
that position in the
Investigative Services
Department’s history. Yet,
Wi'ight faced some dai'k
tinres.
“Lots of officers ai'e not
interested in females or
minorities being here,” she
said. “As a female, you must
always prove yourself. Guys
stand back and let you get
into situations.fights.-.to see
if you can handle yourself”
Wright said she was often
ostracized by white male co
worker's.
‘You survive and make it so
it’s not so bad for the next
[black woman] corning in,”
she said.
For Wri^t and Thompson,
some of the most difficult
obstacles came not fixirn then'
peers, but fi-om the communi
ty
‘T was called on an alar'm
call...and the man answered
the door ‘I know they didn’t
send you out here to protect
me,” said Wright. “How ai'e
you going to help me?
Women shouldn’t be in law
enfoi’cement.”
Said 'Thompson; “Some peo
ple wei'e not interested in
talking dming inter'views
because I was black or
because 1 was a woman. One
man tried to talk to my pho-
togi'apher, birt not to me. I’ve
talked to people I knew
bdiind that door was their
robe...and I don’t mean a
judgeship.”
Thompson and Wright
stand as h’ailblazei's in their
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