Following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, President Biden sought a replacement to serve on the Supreme Court, the result: Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson. According to the White House, President Biden “sought an individual who is committed to equal justice under the law and who understands the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions have on the lives of the American people.” For the President, Jackson embodies these values and is described as “one of our nation’s brightest legal minds and has an unusual breadth of experience in our legal system, giving her the perspective to be an exceptional Justice.”
Jackson grew up in Miami, Florida and attended both Harvard College and Harvard University. Her Harvard background has influenced her greatly. Over 30 years ago, a Harvard dormitory hung a Confederate flag. Jackson and her friends made sure to protest the flag while also staying in class. At the time, Jackson was in her freshman year at Harvard College and did not let others make her feel that she did not belong. This incident was a lesson to not let injustices “derail” her and to “tune out those voices, block out their little flags and ignore the haters, rather than indulging them.”
Yet, Jackson’s Harvard ties have been the subject of great debate. Jackson is still a member of Harvard’s Board of Overseers. Although her term on the board is set to end on May 26, many feel that her link to Harvard will affect her ability to be impartial in the upcoming Harvard affirmative action case. Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, explained to ABC News, “Six years on the Board is a long time, and her impartiality in the case—that is, in favor of Harvard, given her ties to the Board—might be reasonably questioned […] it’d be prudent for her to recuse, though it’s not as clear cut as some pundits have made it out to be.”
The question of Jackson’s impartiality regarding Harvard has been raised often, but at her confirmation hearing, she stated, “I’m looking at the arguments, the facts and the law, I’m methodically and intentionally setting aside personal views, any other inappropriate considerations and I would think that race would be the kind of thing that would be inappropriate to inject in my evaluation of a case.” Moreover, Jackson ascertained that “I’ve experienced life in perhaps a different way than some of my colleagues because of who I am and that might be valuable.” Without a doubt, Jackson’s upbringing and long history of fighting off and experiencing injustice as a black woman have shaped her into the judge she is today.
Regardless of the controversy, Jackson has been rated highly by the American Bar Association. Ann Claire Williams, the committee’s chair, shared, “The Standing Committee is of the unanimous opinion that Judge Jackson is ‘Well Qualified’ to serve on the United States Supreme Court.” Despite attempts to undermine Jackson’s credentials on the basis of race or gender, she has an impressive background. She is the daughter of public educators, graduated from Harvard twice, and has experience working as a public defender and in private practice.
Jackson’s Senate hearings are indubitably historic. As Jackson said herself, “I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded, will inspire future generations of Americans.” Through her work thus far, Jackson has already made history and will continue to do so— no matter the result of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
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