The NAACP New Bedford Branch commends the nomination of DC-native Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and fully agrees with a statement by the NAACP DC Branch, the city where the first Black woman nominee for the Supreme Court was born.
For two and a half centuries and through 115 Supreme Court justices, only three have been people of color and only five have been women. President Biden’s appointment of Judge Jackson is not only a promise kept but a wise choice since, as the DC Branch points out, so many issues directly impact Black families and women. It’s about time Black women finally had not only representation but a voice in the highest court of the land!
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NAACP DC Branch commends the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve, as the first Black woman, on the U.S. Supreme Court. Since 1789, 115 justice have served on the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States, but only 3 have been people of color and five have been women. In the history of this country, not one has been a Black woman. The Supreme Court decides critical cases determining voting rights, economic justice, equal educational opportunity, reproductive rights, environmental justice, consumer rights, and criminal justice.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington, DC and she is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Judge Jackson clerked for three federal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, whose seat she would fill. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In 2021, President Biden elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Akosua Ali, NAACP DC Branch President, stated, “Today is a historic moment for Black women and Black girls across the world. As a Washington DC native and a Black woman, I am extremely proud of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson being the first Black woman nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. From Southeast to the White House, Black women stand united in supporting this highly qualified Black woman to serve on the highest court in the land. Our 116th Supreme Court Justice is Black Girl Magic.”
