The HistoryMakers

United States District Court Judge Denise Page Hood was born in Columbus, Ohio, on February 21, 1952. After attending high school at the Columbus School for Girls, Hood earned a bachelor's degree from Yale College in 1974. She went on to graduate from the Columbia University School of Law in 1977.

In 1982, after working as a lawyer for the city of Detroit Law Department for five years, Hood began her career behind the bench. As a judge, she has served Detroit's 36th District Court, Recorder's Court and Wayne County Circuit Court. Her reputation in the legal community garnered her a nomination to the United States District Court from President Bill Clinton. On June 16, 1994, Hood was officially appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. In this role, she continues to preside over both criminal and civil cases.

Over the course of her career, Hood has participated in nearly twenty professional organizations. She became the first African American female president of the Detroit Bar Association in 1993 and has also acted as the president of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan. In addition, she has contributed her energies to numerous community organizations, and has served as a board member for the Lula Belle Stewart Center, the Cyprian Center and the Interim House. These efforts have earned Hood such honors as the Damon J. Keith Community Spirit Award, the Ebeneezer A.M.E. Church Woman of Distinction Award and the Columbus School for Girls' CSG Alumnae Award. Hood resides in Detroit with her husband, the Reverend Nicholas Hood III, and their two sons, Nathan and Noah.

Hood was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 22, 2002.