Today, we pay homage to the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson, confirmed as the next United States Supreme Court Justice.
Justice Brown Jackson’s appointment and confirmation have taken much too long coming after 233 years, and 115 appointed justices—only five of whom are women, and just three are people of color. Still, today, our country will benefit from the lasting decisions of an uber-competent, all-around powerhouse of a judge who has demonstrated superior judicial acumen and diplomatic poise and the ability to walk through fire and stand firm on the founding principles of our country. In confirmation hearings, Judge Brown Jackson fought off a barrage of racist and sexist dog whistles. She was asked to define the word “woman,” falsely accused of having a pro-Nazi agenda, and sarcastically and insultingly “complimented” for being “articulate.” The only thing missing was asking her to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar or recite the US Constitution backward.
While one Supreme Court Justice’s wife allegedly joins racist groups by publicly engaging in a fight to destroy our national democracy, another pushes through and makes history by becoming the first Black American woman confirmed to sit on the nation’s highest court.
Amid aggressive attempts by the right to turn back the hands of time and endeavoring to reinstitute old “Jim Crow” tactics, this period in our nation’s history is replete with unprecedented juxtapositions.
For our country and the world, this is a glorious day. Judge Brown Jackson’s confirmation sends powerful messages and reemphasizes a historical truth. When you attempt to rewrite and suppress the realities of Black American history, as a people, we will continue to persevere, push through, and make it even more difficult for the truth, strength, and contributions of Black American people to be denied.
Today, we congratulate the United States of America on confirming a most worthy addition to the US Supreme Court. We salute our Delta Sigma Theta Soror, the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has been confirmed as the next United States Supreme Court Justice.
