URGE ENDORSES JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN NOMINATED FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2022
Kwentoria A. Williams
kwwilliams@urge.org
WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman nominee to the Supreme Court. After careful consideration of her qualifications, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity is pleased to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as our next Supreme Court Justice. We applaud President Biden for fulfilling his commitment to nominate a Black woman to this vacancy and we are confident that Judge Jackson will excel as a Justice and will make the Court a better representation of the demographics of our nation.
We encourage the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure a fair and timely confirmation process. We trust that after Senators review Judge Jackson’s outstanding record, there will be a prompt confirmation vote with bipartisan support. “As the next Supreme Court Justice, we believe that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will demonstrate her commitment to protecting the rights of all people– from abortion access, to workers’ rights, to democracy reform. Young people are watching this nomination and envisioning what a fair and representative judiciary could look like. Today’s nomination of Judge Jackson is a step toward the highest court in the nation actually representing the demographics of America. It cannot be the last,” says Desireé Luckey, Director of Policy at URGE.
Since the SCOTUS vacancy announcement, we have seen misogynoir—the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against Black women—in the response to the prospect of a Black woman as the nominee. Misogynoir shows how sexism and racism manifest in Black women’s lives to create intersecting forms of oppression. In support of Judge Jackson, as she moves through the confirmation process, we will call out those demonstrating this form of anti-Blackness and we urge our partners and movement-building colleagues across the country to do the same. “As a queer Black woman and an attorney, I am especially grateful to witness the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court. For years, Black women have made outsized contributions to the legal profession while enduring misogynoir and being pushed out in the workplace. Despite these ongoing challenges, Judge Jackson has persevered and will bring her unique perspective and experience to the Supreme Court,” said Luckey.
This is a monumental moment in our nation’s history, especially considering the persistent erasure of Black women’s legal contributions throughout the decades. URGE looks forward to supporting Judge Jackson throughout the Senate process and celebrating her successful confirmation.
