John,

With Justice Stephen Breyer planning to retire from the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the current term, President Biden now has the opportunity to fulfill his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States.

There are a number of historic SCOTUS decisions that have been deeply harmful to Black people (Plessy v. Ferguson and Dred Scott v. Sandford, for example). Though we have made progress since then, we can take nothing for granted.

It is long past time for this country to have a Justice who knows first-hand what it means to be a Black woman in this country. As a Black woman, I know how unique our lived experiences are, and we deserve to have those experiences represented and reflected on our nation's highest court.

You’ve heard the attacks, the dog whistles, and the outright racism that some have expressed about President Biden’s pledge, but we cannot let voices on the right diminish the power of this moment. We deserve a Justice who understands the rich and sometimes painful parts of the Black experience in America.

I believe the U.S. Supreme Court should reflect the magnificent diversity of our country. Please join me in supporting President Biden’s pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court >>

Thank you for taking action,

— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot