New Supreme Court Justice
Ketanji Brown Jackson creates a wake in her path as the Senate confirmed her as the Supreme Court Justice last week. Jackson is the first black woman confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice with a vote of 53 to 47.
In addition to this, Jackson also had the first democratic Supreme Court Justice nomination in 12 years, with the process finalized on April 7th.
“After weeks and weeks of racist, misogynistic, and stomach-churning attacks, we cannot wait to finally call her Justice Jackson,” states NAACP President Derrick Johnson. Multiple people have criticized Jackson’s handling of cases that were brought up both in and outside of the courtroom during the hearing, with certain Justices speaking to news outlets. Ted Cruz stated, “She is an extreme outlier on the question of crime.”
This confirmation is different from ones in the past as Jackson was confirmed prior to a vacancy being open, in preparation for the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer who will not be retiring until summer.
“I have dedicated my career to public service because I love this country and our Constitution and the rights that make us free,” Jackson states.
She continues to say, “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States but we’ve made it. We’ve made it, all of us. … In my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court of the United States.” Jackson is the daughter of school teachers who faced many difficulties throughout their lives due to race.
In a New York Times article by Adam Liptalk, it states, “Once she replaces Justice Stephen G. Breyer, one of the 108 white men who preceded her, the court will look a lot more like the nation it serves.” Jackson will be one of four women on the supreme court and one of three people of color in our nations history.
Sarahbeth Maney/New York Times
