Margie Annette Hawkins Duty (August 28, 1922 – April 23, 2001) [1] was an African American law enforcement officer. She was the first black woman to serve on the police force in Houston.
Duty was born in Jennings, Louisiana. [1] Duty married Nathaniel Duty, who later joined the military, in Shreveport in December 1945. [1] Nathaniel was stationed at Ellington Air Force Base and the couple moved to Houston. [1] Prior to joining the police force, Duty worked at the Houston Housing Authority. [2]
Duty started working as a police trainee in Houston in July 1953. [3] Duty was not able to attend the police academy in Houston. [4] When she joined, there had already been three black male officers, making her the fourth African American on the force. [5] She was assigned to the Juvenile Division, where there were fewer instances of prejudice than in other departments on the force. [6] [7] However, Juvenile did have two different seniority lists: one for white officers and one for black officers. [7] There were also separate bathrooms and water fountains for black and white officers. [5] Duty stayed in the Juvenile division as a plainclothes officer for twenty-three years. [7] She later worked for eleven years in the jail. [7]
Duty retired from the police department in 1986. [7] She died on April 23, 2001, and was buried in Houston National Cemetery. [1]
Margie Annette Hawkins Duty (August 28, 1922 – April 23, 2001) [1] was an African American law enforcement officer. She was the first black woman to serve on the police force in Houston.
Duty was born in Jennings, Louisiana. [1] Duty married Nathaniel Duty, who later joined the military, in Shreveport in December 1945. [1] Nathaniel was stationed at Ellington Air Force Base and the couple moved to Houston. [1] Prior to joining the police force, Duty worked at the Houston Housing Authority. [2]
Duty started working as a police trainee in Houston in July 1953. [3] Duty was not able to attend the police academy in Houston. [4] When she joined, there had already been three black male officers, making her the fourth African American on the force. [5] She was assigned to the Juvenile Division, where there were fewer instances of prejudice than in other departments on the force. [6] [7] However, Juvenile did have two different seniority lists: one for white officers and one for black officers. [7] There were also separate bathrooms and water fountains for black and white officers. [5] Duty stayed in the Juvenile division as a plainclothes officer for twenty-three years. [7] She later worked for eleven years in the jail. [7]
Duty retired from the police department in 1986. [7] She died on April 23, 2001, and was buried in Houston National Cemetery. [1]