Interview with Sadiqa Reynolds, August 15, 2014

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Good morning. Today is Friday, August 15th, 2014. My name is Erica Bindner-Wooten and we are doing an oral history for the legacy of African American judges in Kentucky. I'm here with former judge Sadiqa Reynolds. We're in Louisville Metro City Hall in Sadiqa Reynolds' office. And Sadiqa, before we get started, I'm going to mess up your current title, so I would like for you to tell me what that is.

REYNOLDS: Chief for Community Building in the Office of the Mayor.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, great, thank you. And, as I said, we're just going to kind of go through some general questions. Um, this interview is really yours to make of it what you would like. Um, if there's anything that I ask that you're not comfortable answering, uh, certainly feel free to say so. We're going to start with your early life. Can you tell me when and where you were born?

REYNOLDS: I was born in the South Bronx, New York, in 1972.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay. Uh, can you describe for me what it was like in the community where you were born and raised?

REYNOLDS: Um, well, I mean the South Bronx was a pretty tough community. Um, there was lots of poverty. Um, we--my, both my parents actually did work, um, 00:01:00when I was born--I believe, that's right. And my mother certainly did, and I think my father may have worked off and on. Um, but we were surrounded by other, you know, family members that were in different situations. And, um, there's nothing--I mean, there are good parts of the Bronx, and we certainly, um--it was just, it was the Bron--I mean, in Louisville, the worst part of Louisville is not the Bronx.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure.

REYNOLDS: And so we moved to Kentucky when I was really young. I actually moved into a housing project in Lexington when my, uh, father went to prison, actually, when I was five, and then my mother, uh, relocated. She was a social worker. She--her best friend actually moved to Lexington. And because she had been involved in a very, uh, violent relationship with my father, when he was incarcerated, she took that opportunity to take a two-week vacation. She came to Lexington, found a job, and we never looked back in New York. But I still, I 00:02:00think, you know, identify with New York because both sides of my family are still there, so anytime we did anything with family, it was always there in the Bronx. Both sides were in the Bronx, so.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, okay. Do you have any siblings? Were you an only child?

REYNOLDS: I am my mother's only child. My father has, uh, I think ten children?

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, but you weren't nec--raised in the same household?

REYNOLDS: We were, occasionally.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay.

REYNOLDS: I have, um, an--I had an older brother and sister. My brother was murdered, actually, and, uh, he did live with us when I was a small child, and then my sister, uh--they actually had the same mother, those two. And then there's, uh--oh God, there are lots of kids. But so, two of them, definitely, we were in the house together for some time.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: Uh, off-and-on. And then, uh, the third, we certainly had a very loving relationship, but that sort of, you know, changes after you move, and--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure.

REYNOLDS: --families are broken apart. And then the younger siblings, uh, no. So I was actually raised alone--once my parents divorced--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: --I was raised as an only child, my mother's only child.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay.

REYNOLDS: And really didn't have any further contact with my father.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay. Can you tell me about any values that either one of your parents instilled? I mean, most households kind of had a core set of values, that they, you know, teach their children. Can you talk about that?

REYNOLDS: My mom was about hard work, so you can be anything you want to be. But you just have to work hard, and--and she never cared what I decided to do, didn't push me toward law school or anything else. Just said, you know, if you want to be a street sweeper, just be the best street sweeper. Don't--I don't want people to call me and say your streets were dirty. You know, so that's really--it was about hard work; it was about, um, always fighting for the underdog, always doing the right thing, and, um, being true to yourself. Uh, those were the things that I remember most about growing up, and sort of what really sticks with me.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm, um-hm. A little bit later in the interview, we'll get into kind of your current role, but I just envision with your mother having been a social worker and with what you just said about her, that you carry a piece of 00:04:00her into your work that you're doing today.

REYNOLDS: Oh, absolutely, in everything I do, yeah, absolutely.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure, sure. All right, let's move on a little bit and talk about education. So you moved to Kentucky when you were relatively young.

REYNOLDS: Absolutely.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Did you go to high school here, obviously?

REYNOLDS: Uh, went to high school in Durham, North Carolina, and in Lexington.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay.

REYNOLDS: So, um, I ended up finishing, actually, at Henry Clay High School, but also attended, um, Northern High School in Durham. And we moved during that, uh, high school, the end of high school.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay.

REYNOLDS: And then graduated from there, went to college at, uh, University of Louisville, and then at--to UK [University of Kentucky] for law school.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, okay. What type of student were you in high school and college?

REYNOLDS: (laughs) Um, okay, so I never, ever missed a party, and--but I always got my work done. I always did my homework--always did my homework, and, um, I was a "crasher" as it related to studying. So I could stay up for days and 00:05:00study. But I enjoyed--I really did not like high schoo--I did not like Henry Clay--let me just be honest. That was almost traumatic for me moving back to Lexington from Durham. It could have ruined my life completely, quite frankly. Um, but, I mean I think now about the people, and, it--it just --it's just a blessing that I have been able to--that I'm here, you know what I mean?

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm, um-hm.

REYNOLDS: But, um, I had fun, and--I--I had fun.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: In high school and in college, oh yeah, it was a good time.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: What did you study in college?

REYNOLDS: Psychology. I was a psychology major, thought about doing forensic psychology, and then decided against that, and, uh--so, psychology, had--I think I was three hours from a minor in philosophy, and I called my mother actually, and I said, "You know," and my mother had never been to college, and, uh, most people in my family hadn't been to college. I found out later that I had two 00:06:00cousins that actually had graduated from college, but I was a lawyer practicing law before I realized we had anyone in our family who had ever gone to college. But anyway, I called my mother and said I was going to be a, uh, philosophy major, and she said, "Do you know any philosophers at all? Just tell me one that you know, and what they do for a living." And so I hung up, and just was like, I'm just going to leave it. (both laugh) And that was that.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: I understand; I understand. (laughs) What made you decide to go to law school, coming from a psychology/philosophy background?

REYNOLDS: Well, when I chose the psychology/philosophy background, I knew I was--my intention was to go to law school. So when I went to college, my intention was to, you know, try to go to law school.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: And, um, I guess, you know, for me, being a lawyer was just about being able to understand things, that I felt like, hurt people, or held people back, you know, um, how could I be in a position to help influence change? What 00:07:00would my life have been like if my mother had known or been--had access to certain things. So for me it was more about that, taking care of other people.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: That's really the reason I went to law school.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure. And you went to law school at the University of Kentucky?

REYNOLDS: I did.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: What year did you start law school, or graduate, either one?

REYNOLDS: Uh, let's see. I think it was '96, '97--let's see, I'm trying to remember, I'm sorry.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: That's okay.

REYNOLDS: It must have been '97? Wait a minute, but what was that? So '91 up until--'93. I graduated--yeah, 1997 is the year I graduated, I think.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Graduated, okay.

REYNOLDS: I think that's right.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, okay. Can you tell me a little bit about the environment in law school?

REYNOLDS: Uh-huh. Um, I was the president of the Black Law Students Association. I think we had eight African Americans; all the rest were Caucasian. Um, we were there--I was in school, I think it was my freshman or soph--first or second year, when the OJ [Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson] trial was all going on and everything, and we were actually in school on the day that 00:08:00the OJ verdict was, um, delivered, handed down.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay

REYNOLDS: And I remember for some reason I ended up in the faculty lounge watching the verdict with a bunch of the, uh, teachers, Professor Graham and others, and, um, there was just--I remember, that was like a very strange day. I also remember the day that we had the Million Man March in this country, and I remember saying to the dean at the time, you know, isn't it interesting; doesn't it say something about our community, and our world, this country, that when the OJ verdict was read, we stopped classes; everybody was allowed to sort of leave and go hear the verdict, but you know, when a million black men marched on Washington, we were supposed to do business as usual.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Hm.

REYNOLDS: And so, that's--but law school, I mean I enjoyed law school. It--it was challenging. Um--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: --Um-hm--

REYNOLDS: I feel like I was well-treated. I--I had a good experience.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: But those are two things that I really do remember.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure. Did you get any response to that question? (laughs) That you remember?

REYNOLDS: I do remember. Um, I remember the dean had actually been out running, because I was saying to him, where have you been? You know, why aren't you looking at this? (laughs) And, um, I've always been a little outspoken. I'm going to change that soon. But, um, he just said, "Well, that is interesting Sadiqa, you're right," you know something like that, so.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure.

REYNOLDS: Um, but you know, I think it says something about him that I felt comfortable to say that to him. And it says something about what I felt like was present at the University of Kentucky when I was there, that I felt comfortable enough to say that.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um-hm.

REYNOLDS: So I have good memories of UK law school, I really do, and certainly of U of L [University of Louisville], so.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Good, good. So let's move a little bit into life after law school. What did you do; what were your first jobs out of law school?

REYNOLDS: Oh, can I tell you something else just about law school?

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Absolutely.

REYNOLDS: Well, I can say this in the context of this question, then. Carolyn Bratt served as a mentor for me during law school. She was a property professor, and she did all kinds of other stuff, women's rights, I think, um. She helped me get, uh, an internship with, um--Chief Justice Stevens, and when I finished law school, I ended up being the first black woman to clerk for the Kentucky Supreme Court, and I would never have been able to have that opportunity were it not for her. And, um, so that was my first job, and then I went on into the public defender's office, and private practice, and into government, and that's sort of been my, um, career. But, the--I mean, she has been, and I haven't spoken with her in probably a couple of years, but she was such a force in my life, and it's--it was good to have a strong advocate in the building. You know, that was really--I think that made all of the difference in the world for me, because I was just sort of going through. And that's what I 00:10:00do, just kind of show up, work hard, do the best I can, and I have been very blessed that somebody has always been there to sort of help me, and say, "well you maybe should try this, or do this," because the reality is, if you come from a family where people aren't college-educated, and they certainly hadn't been to law school, nobody's telling you about internships and clerkships, so somebody in that building has to say, "These things are important. This matters, you know." And so she was that, one of those people for me. She was the most, um--the strongest advocate that I had in that building.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: That's great. Thank you for including that, because we--we've heard that over and over again as we've done these interviews, as you know, people have had a mentor that kind of guided them and pushed them and through this, so thank you for including that.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Um, tell me one memory that you remember most about law school. So if I said, "What do you remember about law school?" What would you say?

REYNOLDS: Oh. I don't know. I mean, I have so many memories. What 00:11:00people--what kind of answers have people given?

BINDNER-WOOTEN: (laughs)

REYNOLDS: I could give really inappropriate answers, like I remember Dean Ausness saying something totally inappropriate on the day we had a visitor--I shouldn't even say his name in this, sorry. Delete the name of the professor. But he made an awful comment, um, that embarrassed even the men in the class. I won't even say what it was. And, uh, let's see, who--who was it? Uh, let's see. My one memory. Hm. I just--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: --we can move on--

REYNOLDS: --I just have so many memories of law school, I really do.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure.

REYNOLDS: We--we worked hard, but we played hard too. I mean, we had an intramural basketball team at the time I was there, just stuff law students shouldn't have really been involved in, but we found time to do--I remember there being, I guess my best memories, just of that core group of people who were just super supportive, that you all--you feel like you're never going to lose contact with, and some of them I have, but some haven't, and I remember traveling with the, um, trial advocacy board, going to Chicago. Judge Edwards 00:12:00and I were on the same team, so that kind of stuff.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, great. Now when you went to law school, did you know what kind of law--did you know what--what the end result was going to be? Did you know what kind of practice you wanted to do?

REYNOLDS: I knew I wanted to go to trial. I knew I wanted to be a trial attorney. Even the practice of that, I just loved the energy of sort of getting ready for trial advocacy board, and that kind of thing.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm. But I--but I actually won the, um, best paper, my 1L year, so I mean, I could have done writing, but--and I do, but I love the arguing of it all.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: (laughs) Sure, and I'm sure you got to do a lot of that at the PD's [public defender's] office.

REYNOLDS: I did. And--and in private practice.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure, sure. Are there any cases that you tried, um, at any point in your career, that stand out to you, um?

REYNOLDS: The death penalty case was one, and the other was one where, um, I 00:13:00remember that I thought my client was guilty. And as we went through the trial, it just--and it--and I was a very new lawyer. It just became, he was charged with three counts of armed--of, uh, robbery. And, um, as we went through the trial, there was just more and more, I just started to doubt. You know, things were just falling apart. I mean, it all--it really looked like an awful case going into it. But things really began to fall apart, and you know, the evidence, we were able to sort of pick it apart. And it was my first felony trial. And, at the--somewhere in the middle, I mean, I thought, this guy's not guilty. And I had--I mean, I really thought he was--it didn't change that I was going to defend him, but I felt that he was. And, um, we ended up getting an acquittal on all three counts of robbery, but he was also charged with driving without a license. And so, he was convicted of that, which meant that I didn't win--there used to be a "walker" award, if you won--like if you got an acquittal 00:14:00on everything. So they wouldn't give me the award. (laughs) And all it was was a bottle of bourbon. And, um, so I couldn't have it because he was convicted of the driver's license. And I asked the judge, please, to set it aside, just so I could have a win. He was like, "no, he needs to"--so it is what it is. So, um, I just remember that and thinking that, this is what the system is all about. Like, you--you cannot say someone is guilty until they have gone through the process and been convicted, because you just do not know. And you think about, if you're the lawyer and you're feeling that, what is happening--you know what I mean? What--what would happen without us being there to protect, you know, these people's constitutional rights, or each other's constitutional rights, so.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Yeah, definitely.

REYNOLDS: And then, of course, the death penalty case, just the--um, the level of responsibility and stress that goes along with, um, you know, something like that, just tremendous, just tremendous. I think it takes years off people's 00:15:00lives. I don't know how folks do that every--you know, all the time, just unbelievable amount of stress to think that you--even though you--you're not responsible, but you feel so responsible. And, um, so that's interesting. But I had some other cases that were pretty funny. You know, lighter, district court that I think I will remember forever.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure

REYNOLDS: You know, like times when your client shows up in the same outfit that they allegedly, you know, did the burglary in, or, you know, those kinds of things, stealing the same car twice in a day, that kind of stuff, those things are, you know, very interesting.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure, sure.

REYNOLDS: (laughs)

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Do you recall approximately how long you worked on that death penalty case that we were just talking about?

REYNOLDS: About two years.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: About two years, okay.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Typically, -----------(??). So we talked briefly about kind of the jobs and the roles that you were doing after law school. Um, prior to going on the bench, what were you doing?

REYNOLDS: I was the Inspector General for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. And--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Okay, can you talk a little bit about what you did in that role?

REYNOLDS: Yeah, we regulated the health care and child care industry, so if you go into a day care center today, and you'll see a sign up that says this, here, the--this is the score, here are the things with this day care, you'll see a sign by the inspector general. So you could go in if you're choosing a child care center for your child and look at what kind of problems they've had in the past. Is it ratios; is it, you know, cleanliness? So you know to be on the lookout, or is this even a child care center where you want to take that kind of chance? Um--(clears throat)--we, um, investigated welfare fraud, um, government fraud and abuse among, you know, government agencies. So it was uh--and then, it was a very interesting, um, job. I actually loved that job. It was--it was interesting too, because it was so, um, confidential. I mean, if you think 00:17:00about it, everything you're doing is working on some sort of investigation, or even if you're just talking about a child care center, or going into a nursing home facility, and, um, doing an inspection, those things are unannounced. And so, you know, if you announce them, if anybody knows you're coming, then that's an offense. And, um, so here you are. Your supervisor's on the other side of the wall, but you can't tell them. And then it was weird because in Kentucky, and some other states are this way, the cabinet ran a nursing facility--a--a health care facility, but then we also regulated on the other side, so then there are things you don't even share with the person who supervises you. So it was interesting; I loved it. Again, a high level of stress, because if you think about it, you are in a position to protect the most vulnerable among us, the aging, and--and the youth who have really no voice. And so, um, you got to do that right to me, that's nothing to be taken lightly. And I'd like to think I would have still been there now, if I had not been appointed to serve on the 00:18:00bench, you know, I think that I would have been.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Can we talk a little bit about that, when were you appointed, and how did that kind of come about?

REYNOLDS: There were a bunch of judges retiring as a--as a result of the, uh, retirement system changes, I guess, whatever. And so there were going to be a bunch of vacancies in Jefferson County. And the Courier Journal called and said, "You know, we heard you might be interested and uh." And I said, "Oh, I'm not interested. Well, I'm not interested in being excluded from any, you know, consideration." And so, that kind of got the buzz, and your name's in the paper, a few other people, and so you start getting that, and then I thought, you know, do I really want to do this? And actually, my husband didn't want me to. And it maybe wasn't the right time. I don't know; I have no idea. Hindsight is 20/20, but whatever it is or it's not, the governor did appoint me. And, um, I accepted the appointment, and went and sat on the district court 00:19:00bench to fill another judge's vacancy. And so then had to run to keep my seat, and was not successful in that campaign. But for me, it was like, you know how you have a taste for something; you think you wanted something, and you get it, and so you say, oh, you know what, that's been satisfied. And so I feel like that. And so I'm so thankful for the experience, thankful that I was there. You know, do not regret anything at all about it, and also, am satisfied.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Absolutely, thank you.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Can you talk just a little bit about the judicial campaign please, because that's something that we've been trying to pull out in the interviews, because there's--there's not a how-to book, you know, you're not taught in law school how to run a judicial campaign, and there are few resources--

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: --for people who are interested in running campaigns. Did you have some--did you have a mentor in your campaigning? Did you have any kind of guidance?

REYNOLDS: I did not have a mentor in my campaigning, and that does hurt. And I 00:20:00didn't even have the understanding to try to get a mentor in my campaigning. I mean, there were other judges who definitely wanted to be helpful. I think there are people who, you know, just--and I mean, just in giving advice. You know, there are sin--sincerely judges out there who want to see you succeed, want to see diversity on the bench. You know, know how important it is. And so they were in their heart of hearts invested in, you know, my success, I guess. And they were super supportive.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Are there any particular cases that you remember presiding over? And you were in district court, correct, when you were on the bench?

REYNOLDS: Um-hm, I was.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Do you remember any particular cases that, uh, kind of stand out, um?

REYNOLDS: Yeah, I remember one where, uh, I was trying to work on what to do with this young man who was before me, and I was saying, uh, we were--this was one of those--um, what was it? I guess it was domestic violence court. We had a special court. It is amazing to me how much of this I have forgotten, God. 00:21:00It was just--it wasn't that long ago. But it--anyway, it was a special court, and, uh, so like a diversion. And so it was much more free; much more able to talk about a lot of things. And I asked him, "What--what has gone on? What has happened in your life?" And, uh, he said, "You know, I've--I've seen my mother murdered. I--you know, I found her dead in a bathtub, and this and that." And I remember looking around, and you know, just the way everybody had water in their eyes. And that does not happen often. I mean, when you're in court, I mean, you get used to a lot of stuff. And so you have this young kid who is definitely acting out, um, definitely something has to happen, but what is the something? Is it--is it jail? Is it help? And if we give him help, are we tracking what we're doing? Are we really wrapping around services; are we putting a band-aid on something else? You know, what we--I mean, everybody 00:22:00keeps talking about mental health, but I don't see any increase, you know, anything in that direction. So, that case, I remember. I remember--I also remember another case in that court with domestic violence, and we were--they were attempting to divert someone who clearly didn't get it, and didn't need to be diverted. He needed to sit and understand what had occurred. Um, I remember, oh just a woman who, uh, English was her second language, coming into court. And she was so afraid. And at the end of the case, uh, she was actually found guilty; we ended up ultimately expunging her, whatever. But long and short of it is, even though the result wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to hug me afterwards. And had--and she understood. I mean, her lawyer, she was 00:23:00represented by counsel. But it was the way she was treated. It was just--there was so much to be said for treating people decent--I mean, you can send people to jail. You can remove children. You can do all of that stuff and still respect the people in front of you. And I tried to work really hard to do that. You know, now in other arenas, I am, um--I am strong-headed; I am, um--I am opinionated. I care about what happens to a whole lot of things that people probably think should not even matter to me, but it is what it is. But that being said, when you know you have power, I think it is imperative that you use it wisely, especially when people are vulnerable, because it--and this is what my mother taught me, "But for the grace of God go I." And so in everything that 00:24:00I do, and have done, I've tried to remember that. You know, I have certainly fallen short at times, but that's been the key sort of guidance, and that's what I will, you know, hopefully teach my kids.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Thank you.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Can you tell me a little bit about your current role, and what you're doing now?

REYNOLDS: So, I'm Chief of Community Building, and I am--I think I'm supposed to be out at all these red ribbon cuttings and having a good time, and that has not really happened for me. (laughs) But I have had a good time. So, the--there are about seven agencies that are under my umbrella. Library, parks, the zoo, health department, the Human Relations Commission, the animal services, um, community services, and, um--we have created an office for safe and healthy neighborhoods. So a lot of the social justice, social action, um, agencies--oh, I'm sorry, I'm bothering your microphone. (clears throat) So, um, they all 00:25:00have directors, but there are lots of things that the mayor, you know, would like to see maybe done differently than had previously been done, and so you work on those kind of things, sort of shifting culture, or trying to help align better the resources. So, um, so for example, when we had the, uh, Trayvon Martin shooting in this country, we discussed--the mayor and I discussed what that felt like to be an African American person in this country at a time when you don't know whether or not this man is even going to be indicted. I mean, we're not even talking conviction; just indicted. And so, my conversation was around, here I am, a person with everything to lose, because I have been very, very fortunate in life. And, I feel so hopeless. I feel so angry. So what does somebody out there who really is maybe hopeless; what--what will they do if 00:26:00there's no indictment? And as we were talking, I said, this country--I--I mean, I think things will be a mess all across the country. And so at that time, we--he decided, actually, to pull in a group of, um, community folks to really come and have a conversation about how Louisville might respond if there were no indictment. Of course, you know how that turned out, there was an indictment, but we had that conversation. And then we ended up with a triple-homicide that same year, so we pulled that same group together, and some other folks, and at that point, um, there was a violence prevention report that was written, and so how do we deal with this issue of black men dying all across the country, and really no real big conversation going on around it? And so, in that report, one of the recommendations that the community, um, gave, was to hire someone to be solely responsible for safe and healthy neighborhoods, and really they said 00:27:00"violence prevention," but we called it "safe and healthy neighborhoods" because nobody wants to think they live in a violent community, which we don't, relatively speaking. So, um, we did that, and that person reports to me. And so that is a big--(clears throat)--excuse me--part of the work that I do with just sort of, how do we look at policies that impact our community in a way that is not what we would like to have happen, right? So, restorative justice, um, those kinds of issues, ban the box. Um, then the other thing is, um--oh, you know, like I said, health department. It--it could be any--I--I can go from trying to hire an animal services director, which is exactly what I'm trying to do now, to how many suicides have we had in--today--(clears throat)--excuse me--and trying to keep everybody, you know, understanding that as much as we talk about homicides, we've had more suicides in this country, and in this city, 00:28:00year, after year, after year, after year. So mental health is an issue. I started running some boards for the mayor, uh, in this role, just sort of trying to make sure that his message is coming across, and the things that, you know, his vision for the city, and you know, just trying to sort of influence where you can. Uh, what else do I do? I don't know, I can't--is that enough? (laughs)

BINDNER-WOOTEN: I'm exhausted just hearing all the things that you're responsible for. (laughs)

REYNOLDS: It's--it's fun, though. I mean, you also know that in the particular agencies, you have subject matter experts. And so, you are involved--so on any given day, I may be in the weeds with some agency, because of a particular issue, and then, you know, I'm not. It just depends on--but I'm always involved in the safe and healthy neighborhoods work. Because I think that, um, what we want people to understand is that education is violence prevention. So the 00:29:00reason that young people act out, like so--we had the thing on the waterfront in March, and there were lots of folks who said, "Oh, we need more police, more police." Well, police are a band-aid, and they--you do need police. You have to have them. People deserve to feel safe and sound. But you also need to have programming and other things in place that give young people opportunity to express themselves, and we need to focus on education. It is very frustrating when you don't--when we did profiles of some of the young people that were involved in some of the, um, things that went on, what--and we didn't get the names with the profile, but we just got a general sort of, here are the--100 percent, low-to-moderate income, 100 percent reading below grade level. So, if you can correlate things like that, we have to make it our business to do better by our kids. You know, and what I love about having served on the bench, and 00:30:00having been an attorney in the courtroom, I totally--I feel like I get it. Like I feel like I get the whole picture. You--you--I don't need any--when people come in here and try to tell me, "Well, this is what we need in the court." And I'm just like, "Well first of all, that already exists. And so, do we need that, or do we need them to do a better job? You know, let's--let's talk about that." So we funded, for the first time, this government, this--this administration has put in its budget $100,000 for restorative justice, so we're trying to keep kids out of jail. We're trying to do community accountability boards so that if you, you know, commit a crime in the community, and you can actually--if we get the victim to agree, perpetrator, you know, everybody, they come together to say, "I am somebody's grandmother. When you snatch my purse, you took these kids' Christmas money." We--here's what ha--and then, you know, the perpetrator hearing that and understanding that this is somebody; this is a 00:31:00person; you impacted this family, maybe in the same way your own family is being impacted, and so how do you restore everybody? Because really, there's no space in the res--in the criminal justice system for restoration. If you go look, when people plead guilty, they don't then turn to the victim and say, "And I'm so sorry," I mean, occasionally, but there's never really--I mean people think they're going get closure, like, "I would feel so much better," and I would hear it from victims. They don't feel better. You know, you don't feel--there's no better. But sometimes, maybe, if there was that process, you could get that. So we funded that. We also added to the budget this year $800,000 for youth development programming. I mean, I feel like it is because of the work that I have been trying to do, and--and God knows, a vision, a supportive mayor, that you know, made that so possible. And so, these little rewards along the way are helpful. And those are the things that I think you have to do. And I think $800,000 is a fine number. It is nowhere near what is needed. But, um--but 00:32:00you--take what you can get when you get it, and you roll on, and--I mean, there's plenty of other money in other places. But again, never enough for education, youth development, you know, mental health. Those are the kind of things that we've got to push on the national government, as far as I'm concerned, to really do more of, and our philanthropic, um, folks out here. So, that's, what I do all day is just try to figure out a way to connect people that need to be connected, and to get stuff done, and to, um, do things that maybe folks weren't thinking about.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure, thank you.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: You mentioned earlier that you have, uh, two small children.

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Given the litany of things that you just described that you deal with every day at work, how you find work-life balance, or do you? (laughs)

REYNOLDS: Um, I'm--I, um--let's see. Yes, I have work-life balance. I am doing better. I think in the beginning of any position like this one, or 00:33:00especially the inspector general job, it is to--let me just say this too, from a work-life balance, that judicial position was the best ever. (laughs) It really was, but then when you have to campaign, it's a nightmare. So I'm not--it is what it is. But, on a day-to-day, that is very--that is a great "mommy" job. Um, but these things are--this is crazy, right? So I am intentional about balancing. Sometimes what I do during the school year, and I've just started off again, we'll see how it goes: I take the bus to work so that I have an absolute cut-off time. Because apparently--well last year there was a late bus that I could take, but yesterday I missed the bus and then I had to get a ride, so. (laughs) Um, they don't have a late bus anymore, so that's it, you know, here's what time you have to leave. Now I still have my phone and all that, and I'm still--but it is what it is, so I'm trying really hard to be intentional 00:34:00about that, because a few years back I saw my kids playing, and one of them, you know, was, um, trying to talk to the other one, and the other one said, "Oh, hold on one second, I'm on the phone," you know, "just one"--and I thought--oh, I don't want to do, you know. But I don't miss PTA meeting--uh, parent-teacher meetings, I don't miss any kind of performance. I don't--I'm always there, you know, I--I will get back here for any soccer ga--I've never, none of that, stuff, you know? So I'm there, and--and then on a day-to-day, and I look now, second day of school yesterday, my daughter had so much homework. She was up until 10:30, maybe even eleven o'clock last night, we were sitting there. So, we are definitely going to have to be balanced and structured, and I'm not the best at structure, and that's just my personality, has nothing to do with this job. That is a flaw of mine; I have got to do better. So you can imagine me trying to run a campaign, you know, that was just a mess. So, um, anyway, it is what it is. But yeah, I--I think we have to be intentional, because you can 00:35:00have it all, but balancing it all is another story, and I--I think because my mother died when I was, um, right out of law school, I really understand the value of having a mother so I get it that there's nothing more important, so you--that is nothing that is ever--that's something that is never, ever lost on me, you know? So--

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Hm.

REYNOLDS: There you go.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Not that you need any vouching for, but I can attest that I have seen you at numerous events of your children's, so. (both laugh)

REYNOLDS: Thank you very much.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: We're going to switch gears a little bit, and--and start to wrap this up. Uh, we talked a lot about, um, in terms of supporting youth in the community and nationally and kind of broadly, and I want to bring it specifically to the legal field because when we look at the numbers, the numbers haven't really changed in regards to the number of minorities, specifically African Americans in the legal field. Um, one, does that surprise you? And two, do you have any ideas of why that is, or how we can make it better? How 00:36:00can we improve the numbers of minorities in the legal field?

REYNOLDS: It--you mean, that are practicing law and being judges and doing--how do we increase the--okay, I just want to make sure I understood.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Sure.

REYNOLDS: Um, I think we have to be intentional about it. You really have to be intentional about the recruiting. You really have to have professors and folks in the system that say--so wait a minute, let me even go back to before law school, I guess. Um, first of all, you have to have a culture in your community that says these people are capable of being lawyers, and doctor--whatever, or folks in the legal field, lawyers and judges, and so, um, that's the first thing is, it is nice to see people who look like you, because as a young person, you say, "Oh, I can do that," you know, and it's nice to be able to be in touch with those people, and Louisville is just small enough to be able to really, if you're a sitting judge, be sort of seen in the community. Um, so then when--and I think the colleges have to be intentional. I think the 00:37:00law firms have an obligation to recruit better, to demand diversity, where--you know, they have got to do it. It--you just have to be so intentional about it; we owe that to each other, I think. And, and--and you--what I think we forget is how much you gain by having a diversity of opinion, perspective, backgrounds at the table. So it's not even just about the skin color; it is really about getting--having the whole, you know, team. You cannot win with half a team, and that's what we're doing now. And so, you know, that's why you see, here's where Kentucky is. You know, how do we make this city, this state better? So we have to be intentional about that. Um, and I think then, if you get to law school, when you get there, we have to be intentional about trying to keep these students. So what does that mean; what does it take, understand that people come from different backgrounds, different perspectives. Somebody has sat at 00:38:00their table--my kids have heard more about--I don't know, really probably mayor's office, youth development. I mean, my--you know, my daughter thinks every mayor's office must have somebody like me. I think one of the kids in her class did a skit on the mayor's office, and--and she said, "Well, you didn't have my mom," you know. And I--(laughs)--because that's her perspective, and so when you have those years of experience where you're hearing certain terminology, and you become more comfortable with it, you know what a brief is, you understand, I walked in the law school, when they said "brief," that's the first time I heard it. You know, when somebody said, you really need to try to work with these law fir--here's what--okay, I didn't know that's the first thing. I mean, simple as--as simple as somebody saying, blue or brown suit, don't wear black, or you can wear black, but you know, I mean, actually needed that, so meet people where they are, understanding that helping them is not just about helping them. It's not that they don't have the smarts; it's that you 00:39:00don't even understand the system, and they--that has to be acknowledged. And so, people of all backgrounds really do need to be embraced. I think that it's just so important. And so you need a Carolyn Bratt who is going to help, and say, you know what, you can do this; here's what I think you should do. I mean, if she hadn't said you could clerk--there's this opportunity, I don't know that I would have felt like I was worthy of something like that. And maybe other students didn't feel that way, but that's how I felt. You know, I didn't--I didn't walk around with any sort of sense of entitlement. Do you understand what I'm saying?

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Absolutely.

REYNOLDS: So, um, I think really, the intentional part of it is where we miss. We talk a lot, but are we really doing what needs to be done? And from law school, and especially, I cannot say enough about these law firms. They have got to do more. They need to do better, and they need to do it faster, stronger, harder, whatever. That's my thing.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Thank you, thank you.

REYNOLDS: You're welcome.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: I just have two final questions for you. One, this is always a fun question to ask. If you were speaking to a younger version of Sadiqa--

REYNOLDS: Um-hm.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: --what would you tell her?

REYNOLDS: Don't give a damn what they think. It doesn't matter; don't lose a minute of sleep, whoever it is. (laughs) Because they don't really, uh--let me be nice in this interview, hold on. (both laugh) I would say to a younger version of me, mm, you will be ready for every challenge, so just keep moving, and when you meet people along the way who are, um--who offer challenges, do what you feel is right in your heart, because they don't really matter. What matters is that you do the right thing. Yeah, I guess that's what I would say 00:41:00to myself. So relax, relax.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Nice.

REYNOLDS: It's going to be fine. (laughs)

BINDNER-WOOTEN: And my last questions is just a catch-all; is there anything that we haven't discussed that you would like to add to this interview?

REYNOLDS: Um, I'll just say that I do--I--I think we also, particularly people of color, have an obligation to mentor and help bring others along. I think there's a fear sometimes when you get into positions, that oh, if I hire somebody else who looks like me, they're going to be under scrutiny, or whate--I mean, I think you have an obligation to hire the absolute best where you hire, um, and you can do that. The point of us being able to rise to these kinds of positions is to increase the recruitment pool, so that people who say, oh, we don't have any minority candidates, no, I can find them. I can find very 00:42:00talented, capable--I know these folks. They exist. And so, I think there is--it is imperative that that be done. And so that was about, you know, um, folks who have risen, and--and who are minorities, but I think even folks in the majority, there, again, the intentionality, and not because, oh it's the right thing to do, but because you miss something when everybody's not at the table. If you sit in a room with everybody with the same opinion, no diversity of thinking at all, what ends up happening is, you don't always get the full picture; you don't always make the best choices. And so we have to make sure that people understand that, and that they understand their obligation. That's it.

BINDNER-WOOTEN: Absolutely. Thank you for your time; I greatly appreciate it.

REYNOLDS: Thank you. If I said anything that didn't make sense, please delete 00:43:00it. (laughs)

[End of interview.]