Senate Confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the First Black Woman to Become Supreme Court Justice

The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday, marking the first time in the nation's history that a Black woman was confirmed to the high court. Judge Jackson is one of the most qualified nominees in recent history, with nine years of collective judicial experience as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the Court of Appeals, where she has written nearly 600 opinions.

The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

"Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's rise to the Supreme Court is a moment unlike any other in our nation's history. We are filled with pride, hope, and joy that a jurist of her acumen will sit on the high court. Moreover, her lived experience as the first Black woman and the first former public defender to join the court will benefit all Americans regardless of race or gender, as she will bring much needed perspective and insights to the most challenging controversies our nation faces.

"Her confirmation with bipartisan support is a testament to what is possible during a uniquely partisan time. Our democracy is on the precipice, which is evident from the relentless attacks on voting rights and the right to reproductive freedom, efforts to ban truthful curriculum from schools, and threats to school board members and election workers. These are all manifestations of the politically-motivated 'culture war' that undoubtedly fueled the unnecessarily fraught process that Judge Jackson endured these past few weeks. The spectacle should not be regulated to a historical footnote, but should instead stand as a warning that the embrace of baseless attacks on nominees corrodes our political system--and that those intent on waging a culture war ultimately will not win.

"Judge Jackson's confirmation should be a watershed moment for our nation's judiciary. Her commitment to equal justice, impartiality, and respect for precedent is a template that future presidents should strive to emulate when selecting judicial nominees. President Biden and the Senate have an opportunity to follow this mold by filling the 75 vacancies in the lower federal courts, putting our country on a trajectory towards fairness and justice for all."