Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sets Higher Standard for Supreme Court Justice Qualifications

Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson issued the following statement after the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States:

"As she becomes the first Black woman and the first public defender to sit on the Supreme Court in 233-years, the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson makes history today because of the progress it will bring for all of us tomorrow.

Judge Brown Jackson has raised the bar in terms of qualifications for the Supreme Court -- greatly raising our country's expectations for who should sit on our courts. Her perspective as a public defender has long been missing from the Court and denied influence across the judiciary, as has her real-world experience addressing racial injustices in sentencing. We must remember and redouble our commitment to redefining the role of judges and prosecutors across our country -- to ensure they serve the people rather than serving corrupt interests and ensure they end racial injustice rather than exacerbating it.

We must also remember that Black activism -- and Black voters -- brought us to this long-awaited moment. Black voters and activists made President Biden promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court, and Black voters and activists made him keep that promise. We demanded representation, not just in gender and race but in perspective and values. Black activism has proven itself the strongest force to counteract the dangerous yet carefully-planned, right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court and our judiciary. Black voters will also continue changing the face of the courts by voting in critical races for judges across the country this year and every year.

As we celebrate Judge Jackson's confirmation, we cannot overlook Republicans' blatant and racist attacks throughout this process. The infantile, dishonest and deeply corrupt, corporate-backed racism we witnessed during the confirmation hearings was just a rehearsal for what we are about to face in the midterm primary and general elections. Throughout the election season, Black leadership on the ground -- both in the media and within electoral campaigns -- will be indispensable to ensure that conservatives' racist rhetoric does not misinform voters or corrupt our elections process. And to ensure that their corporate backers are held accountable for it. Activism driven by the call for racial justice is one of the only forces that can successfully prevent conservatives from hijacking our elections."