Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson had a moving message for her two daughters during this week’s confirmation hearing. The Supreme Court Justice nominee addressed Leila,17, and Talia, 21, offering an honest take on the complexity of parenthood.
“Girls, I know it has not been easy as I have tried to navigate the challenges of juggling my career and motherhood,” Jackson said. “And I fully admit that I did not always get the balance right. But I hope that you have seen that with hard work, determination, and love, it can be done. I am so looking forward to seeing what each of you chooses to do with your amazing lives in this incredible country. I love you so much.”
Leila, dressed in a lavender suit, looked visibly moved as she listened to her mom speak. This moment has been a long time coming for the 17-year-old. In 2016, she penned a latter to then-President Obama, asking him to consider nominating Judge Jackson for a Supreme Court seat. “I would like to add my mother, Ketanji Brown Jackson of the District Court, to the list,” she wrote, per ABC News. “She is determined, honest, and never breaks a promise to anyone, even if there are other things she’d rather do. She can demonstrate commitment, and is loyal and never brags.”
Leila added that “even if the workload will be larger,” she felt confident her mom would make a “great Supreme Court Justice.” It’s taken a little while but the teen’s dream may finally come true. President Biden nominated Judge Jackson for the justice position earlier this year. “Whether it’s cases addressing the rights of workers or government service, she cares about making sure that our democracy works for the American people,” Biden said in February. “She listens. She looks people in the eye — lawyers, defendants, victims, and families.”
If confirmed, Judge Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. That significant milestone was celebrated by a number of senators on hand to interview her for the position.
“Not a single justice has been a Black woman. You, Judge Jackson, can be the first,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin said. “It’s not easy being the first. Often you have to be the best. In some ways, the bravest. Many are not prepared to face that kind of heat, that kind of scrutiny, that ordeal and the glare of the national spotlight,”
“We are on the precipice of shattering another ceiling,” Sen. Cory Booker added. “It’s a sign that we as a country are continuing to rise to our collective cherished highest ideals.”
These history-making Black moms were (and are!) paving the way for women everywhere.
Source: Read Full Article