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Bloomington-Normal NAACP cheers Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson shakes hands with Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., right, as she departs following her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
/
AP
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson shakes hands with Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as she departs following her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Leaders with the Bloomington-Normal NAACP are celebrating the appointment of the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, considering it a day that’s long overdue.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday to fill the court vacancy prompted by the retirement of Stephen Breyer, whom Jackson previously clerked for after she graduated from Harvard Law School.

Bloomington-Normal NAACP President Linda Foster said Jackson's appointment to the Supreme Court sends a strong signal of hope, possibility and empowerment for this and future generations of people of color.

“We know that young people, Black and brown, young people are seeing this, something that in my time we have not been able to see,” Foster said during a Zoom call with a reporter.

Chapter first vice president Carla Campbell-Jackson noted that judge Jackson's appointment brings more diversity to the bench — something that's sorely needed.

“We know that the best, the most brilliant and the most holistic decisions come when you have a diversity of thoughts and diversity of perspectives,” Campbell-Jackson said. “So today, we saw that happen.”

The U.S Senate confirmed Jackson on a mostly partly line vote, 53-47. Three Republicans voted for her confirmation.

Campbell-Jackson took exception with what she called contentious questioning during Jackson’s confirmation hearings.

“In spite of all African Americans have attained, we are often demoralized, disrespected and demeaned,” Campbell-Jackson said. “We saw that with our own two eyes with someone who is super intellectual.”

Questions of Ketanji Brown Jackson included "what faith are you" and "can you provide a definition for the word woman?”

Foster called some of the questioning of Jackson unprofessional. “It is my hope that we would never experience another confirmation like judge Jackson has experienced,” she said.

Foster called on elected leaders to re-evaluate their morals and their beliefs and not rely on their political party for guidance. President Joe Biden indicated upon Breyer’s retirement he would select a Black women to the Supreme Court.

Jackson’s confirmation is not expected to shift the ideological balance on the court.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
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