More than 50 years ago, Barbara Langston made history when she became the first woman and first African-American woman police officer in the Chesapeake Police Department. On February 16, 1973, Langston broke barriers that had never been crossed before in the department.
This Black History Month, Chesapeake News Reporter Erin Holly sat down with Langston to learn how she overcame challenges and paved the way for all women officers to come during her remarkable 27-year career.
A lot has changed in half a century, but Langston says it wasn’t an easy journey. One other female officer joined the department one month after Langston, but that officer left the department a few months later, leaving Langston as the only female officer again…