“It took 232 years and 115 previous appointments to select a black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” the judge said under the sun. “But we did it!” The audience on the south lawn of the White House stood up and applauded and shouted with a rare purity of emotion. Jackson added: “We did it – we all did. All of us. “And our children tell me that they see now more than ever that here in America anything is possible.” It felt like the culmination of a journey. A day earlier, Jackson was confirmed by the Senate as the first African-American female judge in the Supreme Court. In moving remarks Friday, she spoke not only about her journey but also about her ancestors: the 400-year history of African-Americans meeting slavery and separation with resilience, creativity and hope. The atmosphere in the White House was happy and solemn – not a single phrase has been written much in the last five years. No catastrophe and sadness for Donald Trump’s lies, the deadly pandemic or the war in Ukraine. Instead, the sailor band played songs from the shows, including West Side Story. (“I like being in America…”) And after a week of dark gray skies, torrential rains and a coronavirus outbreak, the White House looked a little more majestic than usual in bright sunlight. Fifty Stars and Stripes flags fluttered in a row. The birds could be heard singing. The relaxed, cheerful crowd erupted as Joe Biden, wearing shadows, Vice President Kamala Harris and Jackson stepped on the podium with the staff of “Hail to the chief.” But it was Jackson’s cute note at the end of the 45-minute contest that will be remembered – and in the heart – and will be studied by future historians and, hopefully, generations still unborn. The 51-year-old cited figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader Thergund Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice and her “personal heroine,” Judge Constance Baker Motley, a former district court judge and the state of New York. York. senator. “They and so many others did the heavy lifting that was possible that day. And despite all the talk about this historic candidacy and now the confirmation, I consider them to be the real breakers. I am just the very lucky first heir of the dream of freedom and justice for all “. In tears, putting a tissue on her nose, Jackson continued: “Certainly, I worked hard to get to this point in my career and now I have achieved much more than my grandparents could have imagined. But no one does this alone. Jackson wipes away a tear as he speaks to celebrate her confirmation. Photo: Yuri Gripas / EPA My path was opened so that I could stand on this occasion and, according to the poetic words of Dr. Maya Angelou, I do it now, while “I bring the gifts given by my ancestors”. Applause was heard and he took a deep breath. “I… am the dream and the hope of the slave”. It was an excerpt from the poem Still I Rise. A shiver of emotion pierced the crowd, which rose like one. It included Jesse Jackson, 80, a civil rights veteran who was there when King was assassinated. Her voice trembled with emotion that seemed to match the huge moment, Jackson, who was watched by her parents, husband and daughters, continued. “Therefore, as I take on this new role, I firmly believe that this is a moment for which all Americans can be very proud. “We have come a long way in perfecting our union. “In my family, it only took a generation to go from separation to the United States Supreme Court.” It was hard to believe that this was the same country that less than two years ago hosted a similar open-air justice event set before Jackson, Amy Coney Barrett. That gray day, Trump enjoyed the prospect of overturning the court firmly in favor of the Conservatives. The audience was much less different than it was for Jackson. It also turned out to be a Covid overdose event. Time will tell if Friday goes the same way. Jackson replaces retiree Steven Breyer, 83, and so the Liberals will remain steadfast in the minority when, from October, he begins hearing vital cases for positive measures, gay rights and voting rights. This week, Mitch McConnell declined to say whether he would allow even another of Biden’s nominees to listen if Republicans regain a majority in the Senate. Friday’s intoxicating euphoria was just a short break from demands for structural reforms to restore balance in court. But what a break it was. Trump presented a vision for America, imbued with white identity policies and great men of history. This presented another, more generous in spirit, more authentic in the true history of the nation’s origin. Biden said: “This is not just a sunny day. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. This will let so much sun shine on so many young women, so many young black women, so many minorities that is true. It’s real! “We will look back – and nothing to do with me – we will look back and see this as a moment of real change in American history.”
