Funeral services will be held today, Saturday, Dec. 13 for Ret. Police Capt. Claudine Penn, the first Black woman officer hired by the Memphis Police Department. Penn died Dec. 4, the department and her family announced. She was 90.
Penn joined the force as a metermaid in 1963 and served 30 years, also becoming MPD’s first Black female sergeant in 1973 and, in 1995, the first Black female to be promoted to the rank of captain.
“Her leadership, courage, and commitment opened doors for countless women who followed in her footsteps,” MPD stated on social media…