President Joe Biden, on Friday announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, setting in motion a historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the United States.
With her nomination, Jackson is set to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer when he retires at the end of the court’s term in June.
If confirmed by the United States’ Senate, she will be the first black woman to serve in the court’s 233-year history.
Announcing the nomination on Friday, Biden described Judge Jackson as an “extraordinary” candidate, with an “independent mind, uncompromising integrity and a strong moral compass”.
The President said his nomination was in guidance with the constitution and also the promised he made to nominate an African American woman to the top court two years ago while campaigning.
The Senate is now expected to vote for Biden’s choice, confirming the substantive appointment of Jackson to the Supreme Court.
She will need to garner a total of 51 votes — a simple majority, from the Senate to confirm her nomination.
Jackson, 51, currently serves on the influential US Court of Appeals for the DC circuit. Three current supreme court justices previously served on that court.
The jurist has two degrees from Harvard University, which she attended as an undergraduate and as a law student, and once served as editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Reacting to the nomination, Jackson appreciated God for the feat, adding that she is “humbled by the extraordinary honor” of being Biden’s nominee for the United States Supreme Court.
“I am especially grateful for the care that you have taken in discharging your constitutional duty in service of our democracy, with all that is going on in the world today,” Jackson said.
