We’re at a pivotal and exciting moment for our country and our community: with your help, we’re about to confirm the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. On February 25th, President Joe Biden announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson has a clear commitment to the promise of equal justice under law.

Judge Jackson is eminently qualified. She's been confirmed three times to the federal bench, twice without opposition. On the bench, she has shown her commitment to protecting the rights of all of us, including people with disabilities, workers, immigrants, and freedom of speech. As a former public defender, she brings to the Supreme Court the perspective of someone who has seen the justice system through the eyes of our society’s most vulnerable. Her lived experience as a Black woman enriches her perspective about day-to-day life in the United States and how the legal system affects people’s rights and lives.

We’re so excited to be in this fight with you. Below, we’ve outlined how you can take action to help get Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to the Supreme Court - from how to call your senator to how to take action on social media.

Use the links below to learn how you can take action to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court!

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is one of the most qualified Supreme Court nominees in history. A Harvard Law School graduate, Judge Jackson has worked as a reporter and researcher for TIME, served as a federal public defender and on the bipartisan U.S. Sentencing Commission, and was first confirmed to the federal bench in 2013.

She brings with her not only a decade of judicial experience, but experience as a federal public defender. She has seen how our courts impact real people and understands the importance of representing everyone, not just the wealthy and powerful - a perspective often lacking from the Supreme Court.

Every senator gets a vote on every judge - including Supreme Court justices. There will be so many opportunities throughout this campaign to get creative in how we show our support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Below is a brief outline of what we can expect to see as Judge Jackson’s nomination moves through the Senate. Keep these dates in mind as you’re planning actions, calling your senators, and talking with your communities about this important nominee. And make sure to check out links below for more in-depth information about how the nomination process works.

• The nomination is announced. Judge Jackson’s nomination was announced on February 25th, 2022.

• Meetings with Senators. Between the nomination and the announcement, Judge Jackson will meet with senators to discuss her record and her nomination. It’s a great time to be contacting your senators and voicing your support for her nomination!

• The Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet for a few days starting on March 21st to hear from Judge Jackson. This is the public’s chance to hear from the nominee - and an opportunity to watch how your senators respond, to hold them accountable.

• The Committee Vote. After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will ask Judge Jackson more questions in writing (called Questions For the Record), and then will vote on whether to move her nomination forward to the full Senate. This is a great time to be calling your senators and voicing your support for Judge Jackson.

• The Cloture Vote. This is the first vote the full Senate takes on a Supreme Court nominee. A cloture vote is a vote to end debate on a nominee, and only requires a simple majority of the Senate. If this vote is successful, senators then have up to 30 hours to finish debate before the final vote.

• The Final Vote. This is the big one: this is the final time where every senator has to vote on Judge Jackson’s nomination. Watch how your senators vote what they say on the floor - and hold them accountable for their actions.

Especially in these times, when everything happening in the world can feel overwhelming and scary, it’s easy to think about the Supreme Court in the abstract. It’s easy to get caught up in the politics and posturing that happen around Supreme Court fights.

But we know this nomination isn’t about the abstract. It’s about us. It’s about real people, and what seeing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson take her place on the highest court of the land means to us. It’s about how the decisions the Supreme Court makes every day impact our access to health care, our ability to exist in this world as our authentic selves without fear or repercussions. It’s about our ability to control our own bodies and our own futures. It’s about why we need a Supreme Court justice like Judge Jackson, who understands that there is no justice in a justice system that only works for the wealthy and powerful.

You have the power to get Judge Jackson confirmed. It is in your voice, your story, and how you share your perspective with the people around you. So keep speaking up. Keep sharing. And together, we can get Judge Jackson confirmed.

It’s important to contact your senators and tell them you support the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson - even if you think you know how your senators will vote.

If your senators already support Judge Jackson, knowing their constituents also support her can reinforce and help them be bolder in their advocacy for her. If you think one or both of your senators is already planning to oppose her, hearing from you might make them more cautious about how vocally they fight against her nomination. And if one or both of your senators is undecided, your call could be the deciding factor in how bravely they move forward - and that’s really cool.

There are many ways to contact your senator, including calling the Senate, writing your senators, or sending an email.

Calling your Senator

If you’re ready to call your senator, you can get connected to them directly by calling the Senate Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Here are some tips for making the most of your call.

Even if you’re expressing disagreement, be respectful. The person on the other end of the line could be an intern or an unpaid staffer, and it’s important to be kind even in our disagreement.

Be brief and concise. Your call will be recorded as a tally mark, not in detail. So no need to spend too long on the phone.

At the top of the call, mention that you are a constituent. Your call will be more impactful if the staffer knows you are from their state.

Keep it short, sweet, direct, and to the point.

Here are the steps for making your phone banking efforts successful:

Have a script for yourself. Know what you want to say before you get on the phone.

Have the number ready to go. As a reminder, the Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Have it on hand so the person you called can make their call ASAP.

Be ready to help. The person you called may need help working out what they want to say. Come prepared with points on Judge Jackson’s record and what you would say to your senator!

If you can get 10 friends together, Center for Popular Democracy can help you set up a phone bank in your state! You can contact Julia Peter at jpeter@populardemocracy.org to get started.

Senate staff are the ones who write the memos and make recommendations to their boss - so developing a relationship with them is a great way to make your voice heard. Especially during COVID, setting up a virtual meeting with senators or their staff is safe, easy, and effective.

Here’s what you need to know:

Before you reach out

Find out what your senator has already said about Judge Jackson and the Supreme Court vacancy. Check their website, social feeds, and local newspapers to see where they're at.

Check what’s going on with your senator. How have they voted on Supreme Court nominees in the past? Are they on the Senate Judiciary Committee? Are they retiring at the end of term? This is all really important context for your conversation.

Know your stuff. Make sure you come prepared with your talking points about why you support Judge Jackson. Know her record, and know what you want your senator to do.

Get On the Books

Reach out via email or phone, and ask for the staffer who works on judicial nominations. You can also reach out to your senator’s scheduler online.

Figure out what platform they’re comfortable with. Most Senate offices have a strong preference - whether it’s Zoom, Google Meet, or a conference call, be prepared to roll with it!

Invite your team. Inviting partners to the meeting is a great way to show the breadth of support for Judge Jackson - but make sure you let the Senate offices know who’s coming ahead of time.

Plan before you go. Work with your partners in the meeting and set up a clear agenda for the event. You’ll probably only have about 30 minutes, so make sure you know who’s going to cover what, how you plan to keep on task, who’s taking notes, and how you’re keeping folks to their allotted time.

At the Meeting

Be prepared and be on time. Do your research, bring materials that you can leave (virtually) with your senators or staff. Know what issues your senator cares about, and be prepared to address their questions.

Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Don’t make up a response to a question if you don’t know the answer. Instead, offer to follow up later.

Share personal stories with your senator. Make sure you let the senator know why Judge Jackson’s nomination - and the Supreme Court - matter to you not just as an advocate for your issue, but as a person.

Be clear about next steps. Know what your ask is. Wrap up the meeting with a restatement of next steps and a thank you. Then, follow up with any additional materials or information they need or asked for.

Writing a letter to the editor is a great way to reach a broader audience of people, both who see the world like you and those who don’t. They can also influence public opinion and educate readers.

Tips for Writing Your Letter to the Editor

Keep it focused and to the point.

Speak to your shared values. Use unifying language that can bring people into the movement to confirm Judge Jackson.

Have a clear point. For example, talk about why we need judges on the federal bench who have a diversity of background and will ensure equal justice for all of us.

Reference the problem. For too long, Black women have been shut out of serving on the Supreme Court.

Have an example of impact or a personal story. What would it mean to you and your community to have a Supreme Court justice like Judge Jackson, who will bring a new perspective to the Supreme Court and create a more just system for all of us?

Have a call to action. Be clear in your call for senators to support the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Sample Letter to the Editor from AFJ Action Campaign

To the Editor,

In response to [Insert Name of Paper]’s article [Insert title of article], I wanted to highlight a bit of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s unquestioned qualifications. She has strong support among people across the ideological spectrum because her record as a judge and lawyer demonstrates that she is a fair, impartial jurist, dedicated to protecting the fundamental rights of all litigants.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated that he is planning to move Ketanji Brown Jackson quickly through the Senate confirmation process. She has been confirmed by the Senate three times, twice without opposition, and already has a distinguished career as a jurist.

While this historic nomination is a major victory for our country, President Biden and the Senate Democrats must not lose sight of filling the 100 other federal judicial vacancies. If Democrats lose majority of the Senate in November, they are risking all of President Biden’s judicial nominations being blocked by Republicans in 2023. There is no time to waste. The president and Senate must keep up their momentum by selecting and confirming judges to fill all federal vacancies by the end of this year.

Thank you,

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It’s not just about phone calls and emails - our senators need to hear from us on social media, and we need to build momentum to make sure Judge Jackson becomes Justice Jackson. Here are some tips for making your social media as impactful as possible in the fight for a #JusticeForAll.

Be tight and consistent with your messaging. Millions of social media posts are sent every day. It’s hard to break through individually - but it’s easier if we act as a movement. Use the resources organizations and movements you trust are putting together to help amplify our support for Judge Jackson across social media platforms.

Tag your senators. It’s important to be in those notifications! Tag them on Twitter, post to their Facebook pages, tag them and comment on their Instagrams. If you don’t tag your senator, the likelihood that they ever see your message is slim to none.

Use a consistent hashtag. Bring in the full power and momentum of the movement to your digital conversation with your senators. Using the right hashtags gives senators, their staff, and other people in the movement the ability to track and join in the conversation. Right now, we’re using #JusticeForAll and #ConfirmJackson.

Flood social media with accurate and positive information. We’re already the Far Right ramp up disinformation and attacks on Judge Jackson’s record and character. It’s important that we don’t repeat disinformation or the attacks - but we can counter them by sharing accurate, positive information about Judge Jackson and her record.

Disinformation is designed to work hand-in-hand with existing cultural bias to target and silence Black women, women of color, disabled people, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized voices. But we can fight back.

Here are some tips for how to identify and combat disinformation in our own communities.

Don't share or retweet disinfo, even if it's to debunk it. We might retweet someone we disagree with and make a clever comment. But it’s better to report disinfo than spread it further, even if you are resharing with the best intentions.

Trust your instincts. Does it seem too over the top or outrageous to be true? Is it just trying to make you angry? If you think something is off, you’re probably right.

Double-check that image. Is that image real? And is it what it claims to be? Is the photo being paired with unrelated language to further a claim without any evidence? Start by using reverse image search to look for the original source of any photos because photos are often taken out of context or edited to make something appear real.

Use fact-checking sites, like Politifact and Snopes. and check well-respected news outlets like The New York Times or The Washington Post to corroborate what you're seeing.

Question the source: is it from a well-researched news site with journalistic standards or someone trying to push an agenda or sell a product?

Ask yourself how the message and photos are filtered through biases against BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQ people, women, and other underrepresented groups.