Val Demings - Her Story

I was raised in Jacksonville – and I've got to say, when you grow up in the South poor, Black and female, you've got to have faith. It's something I learned from my parents. Mom was a maid, Dad was a janitor, and my goodness they worked hard. And although we didn't have a lot of money – although life was tough sometimes – we had each other. We had love. We had faith. I've carried that spirit with me my entire career.

That faith that things can get better, that we can do some good in the world, inspired me to get into public service. In fact, my mom used to say to me: "Never grow tired of doing good, Val – never tire." And so for me, growing tired was never an option. It's what pushed me to become the first in my family to graduate college. It's also what pushed me to serve 27 years in the Orlando Police Department, where eventually I became the first woman to lead the department. And it pushed me to run for Congress and represent my community.

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