After the announcement of former Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement back in January of this year, Ketanji Brown Jackson was announced as a nominee for Associate Justice by President Biden.
Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Miami, Florida. According to the Washington Post, there were many differences that made Jackson’s path to success unique. As it stands, Jackson Ketanji went to Harvard Law school and went on to be on the Harvard Law Review panel, as well as clerk for the Supreme Court under Justice Breyer. She has also served as a public defender, district judge, judge on the Court of Appeals, and on the sentencing commission — giving her more qualifications than many of the current sitting judges.
Today, April 7th, 2022, the Senate voted on the confirmation of Jackson. Jackson will make history as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Before her, there had been other qualified women in the position, such as Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amy Coney Barrett. There were fewer Black men: Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas being the only two, who have had the honor of serving on the highest court of the land.
Originally, there were mixed reactions regarding Jackson, with some who supported and welcomed her with open arms, and others who strongly opposed her and her beliefs.
According to CNN, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that today is a “joyous, momentous, groundbreaking day.”
He added that, “Today is also a joyous celebration in another way. In the 233-year history of the Supreme Court, never, never has a Black woman held the title of Justice. Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first and I believe the first of more to come.”
The deciding vote was a narrow 53-47, with 3 Republican senators joining all the Democrats. Groups gathered in the Senate public galleries as they waited, with bated breath, for the final confirmation vote that would mark the first of many confirmations that will direct the course of history.
