Statement on the Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court

AAUW Chief Executive Officer Gloria L. Blackwell issued this statement on President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court:

Our hearts are full with profound joy, pride and exhilaration that President Biden has nominated the brilliant, inspiring and eminently qualified Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

As an organization that has worked for 140 years to advance the rights of all women, AAUW views her nomination as a historic milestone that will move us more swiftly to gender and racial equity and justice. Her confirmation won’t just give a Black woman “a seat at the table,” but will bring valuable and much-needed new insights to the highest court in the land to the benefit of us all.

Representation matters—and we are thrilled to see the labor, intellect and advocacy of Black women being recognized, acknowledged and celebrated in this extraordinary moment.

President Biden pledged to nominate a justice with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character and an unwavering dedication to the rule of law—and he found all of that and more in Judge Jackson.

Her qualifications are outstanding. A Harvard Law graduate, she has served with distinction on the second-highest court in the land, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, she held a U.S. a Supreme Court clerkship, positions at prestigious corporate law firms, and a role on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Judge Jackson also worked as a public defender—experience that is sorely lacking on the current court.

Judge Jackson has shown a commitment to the issues that AAUW holds dear, including support for equal justice and the protection of civil and human rights for all Americans.

Her stellar background, combined with her demonstrated commitment to fairness, impartiality and equal justice, all add up to one conclusion: She is the ideal jurist for the job.

AAUW wholeheartedly supports this momentous nomination and will use our voice, resources, passion and activism to ensure that Judge Jackson is quickly confirmed with a unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate. This February, it’s remarkable to see Black history in the making!