Despite enduring racism and discrimination while working for the Secret Service, she committed her life to serving her agency and her people.
Zandra Flemister, the first Black woman in law enforcement, died on Tuesday at the age of 71. Flemister’s husband of 42 years, John Collinge, told The Washington Post that the cause of death was respiratory failure connected to her Alzheimer’s condition.
According to The Guardian, Flemister fought to be a role model for other African American women.
The Secret Service’s director Kimberly Cheatle described Flemister as that “trailblazer who “inspired a future generation of agents.”
Flemister began her Secret Service career in 1974, guarding the families of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
As a Black woman, Flemister faced constant microaggressions, ultimatums, and hostile verbal comments, including one from a fellow agent who referred to her as a “prisoner” while they were on duty. Another colleague wore a gorilla photo on her identity, and she overheard other white colleagues using the N-word. Flemister was also told by her boss that she needed to adjust her afro-style hairstyle in order to be considered for advancement.
The trailblazer transferred to the foreign service, where she was appointed as supervisor general in Pakistan. She later earned selection to the senior foreign service in 2006.
Flemister filed a lawsuit in 2000 alleging racial discrimination within the agency, writing that her race was why she wasn’t “allowed to have a successful career in the Secret Service.”
“My requests for transfers to career-enhancing squads [were] consistently denied, my credibility and competency constantly questioned, and [there was] the common use of racial epithets in my presence,” she wrote.
Unfortunately, Flemister’s battle with Alzheimer’s prohibited her from following through with the lawsuit. She retired in 2010 at age 59.