When the day came, he inspired an outburst of euphoria for many Black Democratic lawmakers in the Capitol. “I’m glad I’m alive,” said Yvette Clark, a New York MP. Members of the Black House Congress (CBC) fled to the Capitol through corridors with portraits, busts and statues of white men who have dominated Congress since its inception. Clarke County was once represented by the first black woman ever elected to Congress, the late Brooklyn Shirley Chisholm, who was first elected in 1969. “I’m glad to be here to see that,” Clarke told the Guardian. “I was not close to Thurgood Marshall,” she said, referring to the lawyer and civil rights activist who became the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court in 1967 and served until 1991. Clarke entered Congress in 2007. “This is so historic on so many different levels,” she said. Following a 53-47 vote in the Senate that included the support of three Republicans, Jackson will take her place as an associate judge on the nine-member tribunal. It will be the 121st judiciary to join the Supreme Judiciary of America, founded in 1790. In October 1967, Marshall became a judge in the Supreme Court. In September 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman to serve in court. In August 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic member of the court. And in April 2022, Jackson became the first black woman to be confirmed on the bench in her 232 years of existence. “I’m very proud that my first vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee would be to confirm this historic choice,” Rafael Warnock, who won his own landmark race last January, told the Guardian. become Georgia’s first black senator. as he headed to the Senate Chamber to vote for Jackson. The Black House of Congress convenes outside the Senate chamber after the roll call vote. Photo: Rex / Shutterstock “I had the opportunity to meet her, and she brings talent and integrity and, as we have seen at these hearings, great grace and courtesy,” he added, winking at Jackson’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. where it endured savage attacks by several Republicans. CBC President Joyce Beatty of Ohio went to the Capitol on Thursday to see Jackson triumph. “People mean to us, because when you think about voting rights, when you think about our children, when you think about all our fundamental issues – it starts with the Supreme Court,” Beatty said. “For the first time, a black woman is sitting there. It gives us balance. Not just because she is black, but because of her judicial restraint and her respect for the rule of law. But also when you look at its past and its culture: it participated in the public [publicly funded] schools, “Beatty continued. Members of the parliamentary group gathered in an ornate room at the Capitol near the floor of Parliament for a group photo after Jackson’s confirmation, including those wearing black T-shirts that read “Black women are supreme.” Georgia spokesman Hank Johnson said: “Despite all the dog whistling and the call for racist instincts among the Republican base, there are three Republican senators who have been able to work with all the nonsense of the conspiracy by Cun , and people trying to outdo themselves with outrageous behavior directed at [Jackson]. » Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah broke with their Republican-led counterparts and those who directly attacked Jackson and voted for Joe Biden. “I’m glad we had three Republican senators who realized this and recognized how exceptional Ketanji Brown Jackson is and the fact that she will bring more experience to the bench than almost any judge in the Supreme Court – including the Supreme Judge. [John Roberts]”, Added Johnson. Jackson has been in a relationship with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Florida, who represents parts of Miami, and has known the judge’s parents for decades. “Her father was the first black lawyer on the school board when I served on the school board. Her mother was a manager when I was a manager… so [for] “Blacks in Miami, you can imagine what is happening now as we watch it,” he told the Guardian. “Young children know her name and talk about her in schools. “They talk about her in the barbershops,” he said. “She was a young girl who grew up with people who told her you could be anything you wanted to be.” On Thursday afternoon, Arch Kamala Harris also became emotional as, in her other role as Speaker of the Senate, she announced that Jackson had been officially confirmed. The first woman and first black vice president of the USA marked another historic moment that, as Harris said after her victory in the 2020 elections with Biden, may be the first but “it will not be the last”.
