Inspiring Students to Break Barriers
March 24, 2021
On March 19, Debbie Montgomery visited CDH to share her own story and inspire Raiders to overcome barriers and discrimination.
Montgomery marched on Washington in 1963, and marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. She earned a master's degree and was working for St. Paul Mayor Lawrence Cohen in 1975, when he asked her to apply to the police force instead. The NAACP had sued St. Paul for not hiring Black officers, and they couldn't begin training without rectifying the problem. Montgomery was the only woman, out of 450 who tried, to pass the physical agility test. She had intended to go back to her job at the mayor's office after a couple weeks, but she didn't want anyone to say that a women, or a Black woman, was incapable of doing the job, so she stayed.
Throughout her decades on the force, Montgomery was regularly sent out without a partner, to handle dangerous parts of the city. She built relationships with gang members, so that she could defuse tense situations without violence.
"Mrs. Montgomery was a perfect choice to speak at our Women’s History Month gathering because of how much she’s done even when the odds were stacked against her," said Molly Stanley '22, one of the students who brought Montgomery to campus. "Many people on the police force wanted her to quit, but she kept going. She knew that she could prove that women were strong, and even when things were hard for her, she never gave up."
She retired after 28 years and ran for City Council. where she was proud to help build new senior housing units and bring more than 1300 jobs to St. Paul. In 2014, the City of St. Paul honored Montgomery by naming a street after her.
Students were inspired by all Montgomery has accomplished, and hoped to emulate her in their own lives.
"During her speech, I was amazed at all the things she did for her community," Stanley said. "She took the extra steps to make sure that as a police officer, she served the people. Everyone in her community knew her, and knew that she was there for them. I aspire to be like her; To go against the odds, and thrive, and to help my community by living my life for others."