Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson, US Supreme Court’s first black woman judge?

Ketanji Brown Jackson has become the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, taking the judicial oath on Thursday.

51-year-old Justice Jackson was confirmed to serve in this position in April 2022 when the Senate voted 53 to 47 on her nomination. She replaces 83-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer to become the 116th judge of the US Supreme Court.

“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favour, so help me God,” Jackson said in a statement issued by the Supreme Court. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”

With this, Jackson joins three other women judges of the apex court — Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Also, it is the first time ever that four women will serve on the nine-member court.

First black woman judge of the US Supreme Court

It marked a historic day in the US judicial system, and for the country as such. Jackson joins the apex court at a very sensitive time for the US – barely days since abortion was banned in many states of the country, infringing on the fundamental rights of women. Citizens of the US have shown concern over the power of administrative agencies to address major issues facing their country, and many hope that Jackson’s swearing-in will make a difference.

“Her historic swearing-in today represents a profound step forward for our nation, for all the young, Black girls who now see themselves reflected on our highest court, and for all of us as Americans,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Law school homework as she coloured her preschool books

Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Miami, Florida. She was the first of two children of Johnny and Ellery Brown, both of whom were public school teachers at the time of her birth. Both her parents had attended segregated primary schools followed by historically black colleges and universities. After developing careers as primary school teachers and becoming leaders and administrators, Jackson’s father decided to attend law school when Jackson was in pre-school. It was then that Jackson traced her love for the law as she used to sit next to her father in their apartment as he tackled his law school homework while she undertook her preschool homework, which included colouring books.

Jackson remained a high achiever throughout her childhood. She always excelled in delivering speeches and participated in many debate competitions. But like many Black women, she continued to face subtle and not-so-subtle criticism and setbacks. For instance, when Jackson informed her high school guidance counsellor that she wanted to attend Harvard University, the counsellor reportedly cautioned Jackson from setting her “sights so high.”

This, however, didn’t deter Jackson, who worked as a journalist and researcher for one year at Time magazine, after which she attended Harvard Law School. She graduated with a cum laude, awarded to those with honourable excellence in their academic coursework. She was also a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review.

From Obama to Biden

She went on to complete prestigious clerkships post-graduation from Harvard. After these clerkships, she alternated between jobs with private law firms and public-service positions with the federal government. On September 20, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to the federal district court of Washington, DC. However, the Senate failed to act on the nomination, which led Obama to re-nominate her in January 2013. She was then confirmed with a voice vote in March.

During the term of President Biden, Jackson was one of the first judicial nominees. She was confirmed into the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021 with bipartisan support.

In 2022, after Justice Breyer announced his intention to retire, Biden reiterated his intention, which was first voiced as a campaign pledge, to nominate a Black justice to the Supreme Court. Despite facing criticism from conservatives and Republicans, Biden went ahead and announced his nomination for Jackson, who had been regularly identified by the media as a potential candidate for the esteemed position. Ultimately, Jackson won the confirmation on April 7, 2022. Every Democratic senator and three Republican senators voted in her favour.

What her appointment truly means

Jackson’s appointment to the highest court has assuredly proven her high school guidance counsellor and many naysayers who caution women of colour from setting their “sights so high.” Having diverse voices on the table for the first time in the Supreme’s Court 233-year-old history is a significant step in battling discrimination in the US.

Black women across the country are celebrating Jackson’s swearing-in. They identify with her on many different levels from her world-views or even her hairstyles.

Jackson’s nomination has highlighted the relative rarity of Black women in the legal profession. Only 4.7 per cent of lawyers are Black in the States, and just 70 Black women have served as federal judges, which represents less than two per cent of all such judges.

“It’s an opportunity for people to really visualize and see Black women doing what they do, which is being unapologetically successful, unapologetically confident in who they are,” Virginia Thomas, 31, told the New York Times. “Everyday people who look at this woman and think to themselves, ‘Wow, she did it.’”

25-year-old Rachel Favors, however, couldn’t stop gushing about Jackson’s hair. “The fact that she has those locks in her hair that are so gorgeous, it just shows how authentic she is, how true to herself she is”, Favours reportedly told the New York Times. “When I look at her, I just see so much, so much, of myself and my friends and family.”