Black History Month Celebration
Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” – President Gerald Ford
History is made through a collection of events with the intent of making change that will lead to a future of effective outcomes. Creating history is achieved through the work of a person or group of people with a single mission to contribute to society in a way that will greatly impact future generations.
As we celebrate Black History Month, the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services proudly acknowledges influential African American alumni and community partners whose made history locally or beyond.
Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis
Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis, CECH Class of 1992, is a Staff Inspector at the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). Among her many accolades, she was recently in the running to become the first African-American female commissioner of the PPD.
Despite having a doctorate, Bailey-Davis didn't always place college as a priority. Having grown up in, what many consider, the largest, poorest, and most isolated housing projects in Philadelphia “Passyunk Homes”, AKA "Alcatraz", she witnessed many of her friends and family end up in prison or dead. Yet, Bailey-Davis didn’t waiver in her desire to want to help others around her. As her life progressed and as she matured, Bailey-Davis began to discover that education would be a key area of opportunity to give back to her community.
Bailey-Davis had several people who would lead her towards a path that she would later find herself on. One of those people was a high school teacher, who would give her bus fare so she was able to take her SAT test. The same SAT that she needed to gain entrance into the University of Cincinnati (U.C.). Bailey-Davis only decided to attend because her father, who she had no contact with for the first 18 years of her life, asked her to live in Cincinnati with him for a while. Bailey-Davis says she questioned him asking, “What do you suggest I do in Cincinnati.” He offered that she’d attend the University of Cincinnati. “Who’s paying for the University of Cincinnati?”, she asked. He adamantly told her that she would enroll and from there a deal was struck. After completing her first Criminal Justice course as an undergraduate student she fell in love with the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program and decided that, “U.C. has pretty much been the other half of my home.”
As she made her way through school and continued to live in Cincinnati, her eyes opened to the world around her. Hearing in a class that Philadelphia was one of the most “corrupt and brutal,” places in the U.S., surprised Bailey-Davis as that is not how she remembered her home. Therefore, she did a little digging and discovered it to be true. “When I came to Cincinnati and took some African American courses my eyes were opened to the world around me. When growing up in Philadelphia I didn’t realize what I had seen or what was around me. As I became more educated, I became more aware of the situation and the situation my community was in.”
Armed with new knowledge and a new passion, Bailey-Davis returned home to Philadelphia and joined the PPD in attempt to make changes from the inside out. “I thought of myself as superwoman coming from the University of Cincinnati.” She told herself “I’m going to change things, I’m going to become a Police Officer and I’m going to treat people well, and ensure that my fellow officers treat people well. I’m going to fly through the ranks to become Police Commissioner.” So, she set out on her work.
Throughout the years while she was working as an officer and climbing the ranks she was also working as an adjunct professor, an academic advisor, Criminal Justice coordinator, and field placement coordinator. All this work was paired with her desire to arm herself with more knowledge as she earned her graduate degree from Lincoln University near Oxford, Pennsylvania.
On top of the heavy workload, Bailey-Davis, “faced all the ‘isms’ throughout her career. Those “ism’s” being racism and misogynism.” Nevertheless, she was able to command respect through her hard work and dedication to her profession and made change. Even changes that seemed small but mattered greatly. One matter Bailey-Davis noticed was how civilians were being treated as they would come to the courthouse for their hearings and such. It was to her dismay that people were forced to remain outside of the building, even in harsh weather conditions. “Animals are kept outside, not peopled. We’re not going to treat people like animals and we won’t leave them outside when it’s extremely hot or cold.”
Alongside her hard work for change in the PPD, Bailey-Davis also does her part to help out her community and alma mater, University of Cincinnati. She takes pride in donating to the university that helped her get to where she is today. She’s also had opportunities to help create scholarships and donate to organizations that allow people from all walks of life able to succeed. She has even gone so far as to adopt her first cousin calling him her, “cou-son.”
Most recently Bailey-Davis was in the running for the position of Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. A position that had not yet been held by a woman of color. She was not chosen for the position; however, when Bailey-Davis discovered the news, she called one of her old professors, Dr. P Eric Abercrumbie, who is now a retired professor from the University of Cincinnati. When he asked her if she was sad she replied that she wasn’t, because of something that he said that stuck with her. She said, “Remember what you said to us? ‘I want you all to remember one thing. You can be the most educated, you can have the most experience, you could have done everything perfectly. There may be things in life that you don’t get an opportunity right away to do.’”
Bailey-Davis has continuously referenced the value of giving back to the community, pursuing an education, and the importance of her spirituality. Though, Bailey-Davis was not selected for Police Commissioner, she still has the aptitude of making a change and being a conduit of positivity between the very community she grew up to the law enforcement community she is now apart of. She understands the responsibility and weight of being in that position. “I understand my role as an African-American woman in law enforcement and the importance of being honest to the communities I serve. I don’t need any specific title for that work or responsibility. As a human being, I care about justice and the protection of everyone, on both sides. As long as I am placed in positions of influence, I will never stop bridging that gap.”