In the end, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s impeccable résumé and credentials, coupled with her uncanny ability to wade through shark-infested waters during the contentious hearings on Capitol Hill, have resulted in her historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jackson will officially become the first African American female to serve as a jurist on the U.S. Supreme Court, a monumental event in American history that is being celebrated across the political spectrum and throughout pop culture.
With the U.S. Senate vote of 53-47 — which included Republicans Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting with Democrats — Jackson will now replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the highest court in the United States.
Jackson is the third African American to serve on the Supreme Court bench. The venerated civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall, who served from 1967 to 1991, was the first Black to sit on the court. Justice Clarence Thomas, a staunch conservative, was confirmed 31 years ago after enduring contentious hearings on Capitol Hill.
Jackson’s confirmation hearing is a direct result of the historic flipping of the state of Georgia to blue during the consequential 2020 presidential elections. With two Democratic senators elected from the traditionally red state, Democrats were able to wield a slim majority in the Senate (a technical tie that Vice President Kamala Harris is able to break). Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, admitted that if the GOP had gained control of the Senate, Jackson would not have even gotten a hearing.
Twitter and other social media outlets, therefore, exploded with jubilation with Jackson’s confirmation, with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressly, D-Mass., penning this witty and facetious congratulatory message:
Watch your step, concrete ceiling just shattered.
Congratulations to the Honorable SUPREME. COURT. JUSTICE. Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Now read that again.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) April 7, 2022
Even the original Star Wars lead actor, Mark Hamill, is elated with the societal-quaking event that will reverberate far into the future.
Thrilled to learn that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be confirmed for #SCOTUS!!! pic.twitter.com/jjWkO6sEYn
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) April 5, 2022
Congratulations to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman and first public defender on the Supreme Court.
Without the commitment of voters and organizers to take back the Senate and White House, this historic moment might not have happened.
Well done. Onward. pic.twitter.com/kZxqzCA8Pp
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 7, 2022
We’re finally going to get to say it: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Woo-hoo!!
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 7, 2022
