Black History Month: The county's first Black elected judge discusses disparities, history and the law

The first known celebration of Black History Month happened more than 50 years ago. Since then, each February has been designated as a time to focus on the contributions of Americans of African descent. The truth, however, is that Black history is American history, and that history is a living, breathing thing.

The Palm Beach Post recognizes that those contributions extend beyond what can be explored in 28 days, but in recognition of Black History Month, we're dedicating this space, this month to some whose work and lives continue to make a difference.

We are featuring four of those who have made — and are still making — history here in Palm Beach County, in as-told-to conversations with writer, author and former Palm Beach Post columnist Leslie Gray Streeter.

Judge Bradley Harper’s road to becoming Circuit Court Judge of Florida's 15th Judicial District started with wanting to earn a “practical” degree to help the family business. That road has been paved not only with notable distinctions like being the first Black lawyer elected judge in Palm Beach County, but a mission to make sure that all of the county’s citizens see themselves represented on the bench.

“It is my hope that my election and subsequent appointment would allow people to remember the importance of faith,” says the 44-year-old West Palm Beach resident, who was elected to the county court in 2016 and then appointed to the circuit court last October. “Even though you might not be able to see what you are pursuing, and you may not know how you’ll get there, someone has to take the first step.”

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What being first has meant for me is that it had never been done before. There are people who believed that meant it couldn’t be done. When I pursued election, I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, but I was confident I was doing the right thing. You never know when you pursue anything whether it’s going to be successful. There are no guarantees. But I definitely believe it could be done. It wasn’t a sure thing, but it was a faithful belief. I was informed by taking my time to do proper research. The Bible has that story about the minority report, in Numbers, which is about refusing to listen to the wrong people and taking time to understand what the community is saying. The people of this community voted for me. Although it hadn’t been done before, my time was the time.

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In 2016, I became the elected Black judge in Palm Beach County and the first Black county judge born and raised in Palm Beach County. I grew up in Riviera Beach and in West Palm Beach. I graduated from Morehouse University with a degree in accounting. I came from a family of entrepreneurs — my dad ran a flooring business, so I attained a degree to use when I went into business with my father for a short time.

Going to law school was a practical extension of that. We were competing for public and private contracts, so I saw the need for legal training to operate and succeed as a business owner. So instead of getting my MBA, I got a law degree. I thought that would better equip me for my future, but ultimately I found that the law was something I was really good at, that I was really passionate about! That led to me eventually becoming a judge.

I didn’t necessarily have the goal or aspiration to become a judge, until I decided to run. The reason I pursued it is that I saw there was a need, at a base level, for young Black men to be a part of the judicial system on the decision-making side. The majority of people involved in the criminal system, who are in the system, are young Black men. There is a vast disparity in the people who are subject to the criminal justice system, compared to the people they come into contact with on the other side.

This is something I wanted to do, not just because of race, but because of who I am. I love the law, I had excellent legal training, and (becoming a judge) was an opportunity and a need to fulfill that role. Everything came together.

One of the things I campaigned on was leveraging technology to improve the adjudication of justice. The pandemic brought us light years ahead with the use of technology, to improve access to the court for people. There are some good and bad parts of that. We in the legal community had been slow to adapt to it, but the pandemic forced us to make significant strides with respect to technology.

On the other hand, in relation to dealing with people, the pandemic showed us some issues, with respect to contact like issuing warrants. All of that stopped. We began to see that there may need to be other avenues for securing appearance in court, where people don’t have to take time off work to come. Combined with text reminders, these things could give people more opportunities to appear and allow us to administer justice.

A larger message that the pandemic sent to all of us can be summed up in two words — Slow down. Things have somewhat returned to normal but I think in that moment we recognized how much we need to slow down a bit. We have so many matters to address, and we’re doing our best. I am going to speak for my colleagues here that we want to give everyone a fair and equal opportunity to be heard.

Another thing is that I hope that young kids, of all races and genders, know that there is a place for you. God made you an individual, special. There is not only a place for you, but a need for you. You have to be confident enough and be who you are, authentically, to know that’s what is needed.

Things being “better,” to me, in a global sense, is really when we can acknowledge the past, present and future in an authentic way. You will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Better means me knowing the truth, and telling the truth. History is constantly being made.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Black History Month: County's first Black elected judge on disparities