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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will inspire generations of Black girls to excel


Today the U.S. Senate elected the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ketanji Brown Jackson will be just the sixth woman to sit on this court. Our lead column is about how she will inspire Black girls for generations.

Ketanji Brown Jackson will inspire generations of Black girls

By Tiffany Atkins

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will soon become the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, is Clair Huxtable for new generations of young people. With a bipartisan vote Thursday, the Senate confirmed Jackson's nomination. 

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to become the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, is Clair Huxtable for new generations of young people. With a tie vote Monday along party lines, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Jackson's nomination to the full Senate.

Representation matters to young people trying to decide what career or education they should pursue. With "A Different World" characters Kim Reese and Freddie Brooks in mind, I decided that I wanted to attend college. And when I decided more than a decade ago to apply to law school, Clair Huxtable was my guiding light.  

In Justice Jackson, Black female strength tells an all-American story

By Eileen Rivers

The most moving moment during the hearing for Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation came when Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke of the historical significance of the judge's ascent. And Jackson, in response, had no words. Instead, she wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"You got here how every Black woman in America who's gotten anywhere has done (it)," Booker said to the first Black woman nominated for the nation's highest court. By working harder and being stronger. 

That was rivaled by another moment that had me, and likely many other Black women, in tears. 

Retired judge: In child porn cases, I did exactly what Jackson did

By Lawrence Stengel

During her Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson gave a clinic on sentencing in the federal district courts.

As a retired federal judge, I watched with admiration as she earnestly and honestly talked about her record. Despite the tone and dubious purpose of questions posed by some members on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jackson's testimony was consistent with my own experience over 14 years of service as a district judge.

Sentencing is the hardest thing judges do.

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This newsletter was compiled by Jaden Amos.