Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday, 7th April made history by becoming the first black woman to be appointed as a member of the US Supreme court. Judge Jackson will take her seat on the nine-justice panel, following the retirement of 83-year-old Supreme Court judge Stephen Breyer. Her life-time appointment will bring the number of females in the Supreme Court to four.
The 51-year-old Jackson, a graduate of Harvard Law school, served as a supreme court clerk, a public defender, a district court judge and a federal appeals judge. Commenting on her confirmation she had this to say: “My parents taught me that, unlike the many barriers that they had had to face growing up, my path was clearer, such that if I worked hard and believed in myself, in America I could do anything or be anything I wanted to be.”
President Biden Twittered: “Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible justice, and I was honoured to share this moment with her.”
During bruising and sometimes veiled racist attacks from Republican Senators, Judge Jackson remained calm and dignified and vowed to be an independent justice who would seek to give life and meaning to the words inscribed on the walls of the Supreme Court- Equal Justice Under the Law.
