Currently, the United States Government is selecting a new Associate Justice for the Supreme Court. The gentleman who previously held this position was Associate Justice Stephen Bryer. He announced his retirement early this year. Shortly after Judge Bryer announced his retirement, President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to take his place.
Judge Jackson was born in Washington DC and raised in Miami, Florida. One of the most apparent reasons this nomination is receiving so much attention is that if judge Jackson is selected to be on the Supreme Court, she will be the first African American woman to do so.
Judge Jackson experienced a tremendous amount of verbal abuse during her interview last week. Still, she has also received love and support from many Americans.
A portion of Judge Jackson’s interview that has set a positive tone is her interaction with U.S. Senator Cory Booker. When his fellow republicans berated Judge Jackson with outlandish, intolerable questions, he took the lead in chivalry and respect. He highlighted Judge Jackson’s character and qualifications and discussed the importance of her nomination to the African American community. He isolated them into a temporary safe haven amid a supremely hostile environment. Senator Booker spoke to a plight that very few people in the room understood but that too many Americans know to be accurate, and that is how difficult it is for black people to accomplish what Judge Jackson has. The question is not is Judge Jackson qualified. It’s a matter of votes. The interviews are a matter of formality, confirming what we already know. There will be a lot of times in this country when for black women to succeed, they must go through unnecessary hardship. Regardless of this fact, Judge Jackson has consistently displayed grace and class.
Additional Reads:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/kbj/
https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf/content/VL+-+Judges+-+KBJ
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1076162088/read-stephen-breyer-retirement-supreme-court
