We sit down with Fatimat Reid, the first African American candidate in decades to win a Monroe County Family Court judgeship.
Four candidates were in line for two seats on the Family Court bench, and it took an additional week to count all the ballots in the extremely close race. Reid, a Democrat, defeated Republican Nicole Bayly for the second seat (Republican Alecia Mazzo was also elected).
Reid was born in New York City and moved to Nigeria as a child. She returned to the U.S. at age ten. As a young girl, she overcame language barriers and being separated from her sister when they were placed in foster care. Reid says her firsthand experience with Family Court shaped her view of the process and led her to want to improve it.
We sit down with Reid to hear her story, discuss the court system, and talk about what she hopes to accomplish in her new role.
