Celebrating Black History Month: Bonita Davis

The Vindicator is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting some of the hardworking and dedicated people who are making a difference in our community. One such person is The Vindicator’s very own Club News Editor, Bonita Davis.

Davis is a longtime resident of Liberty County and her parents both served actively in the community. Davis’s father, James L. Davis, was a 32-year Houston Police Officer veteran. When he retired, he became a Liberty County Deputy and then a bailiff at Liberty County Courthouse. Her mother, Ruth Louise Davis, was a Licensed Vocational Nurse and later a Special Education teacher. Her parents were also officers for over three decades in the Trinity Valley Baptist District Association.

Bonita’s family dates back to the days of the Ironwood Plantation here in Liberty County, which she based the name of her publishing business, Ironwood Productions.

“I believe it doesn’t matter where you start. Those same ones who were on that plantation left there and became great citizens in this county.”

Davis made history recently as the first Black Woman to be elected to the position of Lion’s Club District Governor in the State of Texas.

Bonita is one of 16 district governors in Texas, which has been a part of the Lions Club since 1917. The Lions Club is in more than 200 countries and geographical areas worldwide. It is the world’s largest service organization, with more than 1.4 million men and women members. It is a group of volunteers, and they have five core service areas, vision, hunger, the environment, diabetes, and pediatric cancer.

Bonita received her bachelor’s degree from Lamar and recently achieved her master’s degree from Colorado Technical University, which she intends to utilize to help her with her future goals.

“I am about to start a district 2S2 Cyber Lions Club, which means we don’t go to a restaurant to meet. We meet on Zoom, and we do our service in the real world. You know I will always be a Hardin Lion. My desire is to make sure that a little more ground is covered as well, and I like the idea of networking and being able to feed from resources from a larger area.”