Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Confirmation
So far, there have been 115 Supreme Court justices, just five of whom have been women and two of whom have been Black men.
Throughout the recent confirmation hearings this month, Judge Ketanji BrownJackson spoke extensively about the importance of having a more diverse federal judiciary, noting how a Supreme Court that looks like America would help to build public trust.
“We have a diverse society in the United States … and when people see that the judicial branch is comprised of a variety of people who have taken the oath to protect the Constitution, it lends confidence that the rulings the Court is handing down are fair and just,” Jackson said. “I think it’s extremely meaningful. One of the things that having diverse members of the Court does is it provides the opportunity of having role models.”
We couldn’t agree more, and we congratulate Judge Jackson on her confirmation!
Chanika and I often talk about the importance of amplifying and validating our individual identities that make us the unique people we are. Specifically when it comes to conversations about race and the importance of being “color conscious.” By ignoring race, we mean to send the message that race shouldn’t matter. But the message others receive is often that race doesn’t matter.
Author Resmaa Menakem in My Grandmother’s Hands boldly writes, “Race is a myth, but a myth with teeth and claws. Institutions, structures, beliefs, and narratives have been created around it. Until we recognize it for the collective delusion it is, it might as well be real.” Still, some will say that merely mentioning race or disclosing the ugly history of racism is divisive.
Intellectually, well-meaning people can come down on either side of this debate. In affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court involving the constitutionality of lower school programs in Seattle, Washington, and Louisville, Kentucky, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, on the other hand, responded: “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race . . . with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.”
Ultimately, it comes down to what we value. Paraphrasing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the matter, our belief is that there are practical differences between the use of race to keep the races apart and the use of race to bring the races together.
Again, congratulations to Associate Justice Jackson, and the opportunity her representation gives all of us for more nuanced and engaged conversation!
