Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson is an iconic woman. Readers, you may know her because she is the first black woman to be a Supreme Court Justice. Jackson was born on September 14, 1970, in Washington DC. Her family then moved to Miami, Florida where she was raised. Ketanji Jackson’'s father moved his family there to pursue his law degree at the University of Miami. Following in the footsteps of her father, Ketanji had a passion for law. Ketanji served as class president, truly excelling in debate competitions. In 1988 she attended Harvard University and graduated in 1992 with her Bachelor's degree in government. She entered law school a year later she graduated with her doctorate. Throughout her time at Harvard University, she commonly wrote in the Harvard Law Review. 

Within three years after earning her law degree, Ketanji completed three renowned federal clerkships. While pursuing her clerkships she shuffled between working for private firms and public service positions within the federal government. She proceeded to become nominated by President Obama on September 20, 2012. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act on the nomination. This didn’t stop Obama as he renominated Ketanji in January 2013. Ketanji was seen by the Supreme Court as a “rising star” which geared her in the right direction to being on the Court. In April 2021 she was sworn into the Supreme Court by Chief Justice Breyer. 

Students, you may wonder why Ketanji Brown Jackson is so important. It’s important to recognize powerful women of color like Ketanji because she knows what it feels like to grow up in a society that hasn’t been the most fair, especially when coming to racial stereotypes. As citizens of the United States, we should praise her and have confidence in her ability to represent the people in the Supreme Court. Please take some time to recognize her amazing contributions.