I Am Not Going to Change 400 Years in Four
Satana Deberry, Durham County’s Black woman D.A., campaigned on sweeping reform. Now in office she’s learning just how tough upsetting the status quo can be.
When Satana Deberry took the oath of office as district attorney of Durham County, North Carolina, in January 2019, it was a momentous occasion—for the city of Durham and for her, as a Black woman elected to an office historically held by white men. She ran her campaign being vocal about the over-policing of Black and Brown people, promising sweeping reform. Now, more than a year into office, she faces the complicated realities of seeking to reform an unbalanced criminal justice system and support a community ravaged by gun violence. She’s learning that implementing change will be harder than she could have anticipated.