Celebrating Ketanji Brown Jackson: First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice
By Christine Leavitt
On April 8, 2022, history was made when Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. In noting the significance of her appointment, Jackson stated, “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!” Jackson graduated from Harvard Law School, and following graduation, she served as a Supreme Court Clerk for Justice Breyer, a public defender, the Vice-Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and a Judge for both the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (see https://www.whitehouse.gov/kbj/).
Jackson is also a mother of two daughters, Leila and Tania. As we celebrate Mother’s Day this month, Jackson is one of many trailblazing mothers who deserve our honor and praise. Following the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, daughter Leila Jackson penned the following letter to President Barack Obama:
Dear Mr. President, while you are considering judges to fill Justice Scalia’s seat on the Supreme
Court, I would like to add my mother Ketanji Brown Jackson of the district court to the list. I, her
daughter Leila Jackson of 11 years old, strongly believe that she would be an excellent fit for the
position. She is determined, honest and never breaks a promise to anyone, even if there are other
things she’d rather do. She can demonstrate commitment, and is loyal and never brags. I think she
would make a great Supreme Court justice, even if the workload will be larger on the court or if
you have other nominees. Please consider her aspects for the job. Thank you for listening. (see
May we remember our foremothers who worked tirelessly to push through restrictive barriers this month as we celebrate the women in our lives. Congratulations, Ketanji Brown Jackson, for your historic appointment. As Senator Cory Booker stated, “You have earned this spot. You are worthy. You are a great American.” You are an inspiration to us all, and your historic appointment shows girls of all races that their dreams to serve in the highest offices in this nation can become a reality.
