Dear John,

This week, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson began her confirmation hearings for a position as a justice of the Supreme Court.

It is beyond time for a Black woman to sit on SCOTUS and Judge Jackson is beyond qualified. She must be confirmed.

Judge Jackson has an immense academic, professional, and personal record including attending Harvard for college and law school, clerking for retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and being a working mother of two (a qualification that Republicans invoked as evidence proving a fitness to serve during Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings two years ago [1]). Despite this, the first day of the historic hearings found some Republicans focusing on the contentious hearings of Kavanaugh [2] who was accused by multiple women of sexual assault.

Judge Jackson deserves a swift and fair confirmation process focused on her experience, history, and qualifications; not how someone else was or wasn’t treated.

On the second day of hearings, we were extremely pleased to hear Judge Jackson state that Roe v. Wade and the constitutionally protected right to abortion was “settled law.” [3] Numerous states have enacted abortion bans recently that undermine and undercut Roe and even though Jackson’s seat on the court will not sway a majority, her past rulings show an invaluable voice and thinking on reproductive rights. [4]

Unfortunately, as we expected, much of Judge Jackson’s historic hearings were taken up by Republicans badgering her with their own talking points, asking questions about critical race theory (an academic theory that Judge Jackson says does not come up in her judicial thinking), recounting graphic details of a child pornography case, [5] and transphobic comments about the definition of “a woman.” [6]

Judge Jackson handled these disrespectful attacks with poise and grace, showing amazing restraint in the face of such ugliness. Thankfully, Sen. Cory Booker was able to remind not only the confirmation committee, but all of us watching, about the historic nature of this confirmation. In a truly beautiful exchange, Sen. Booker showed what it means to show up and stand up for Black women, using his time to praise Judge Jackson and this truly phenomenal moment, on the cusp of joy, witnessing a Black woman on her way to the highest court in the land, and the hope this moment brings. [7]  

We look forward to celebrating with Sen. Booker upon the final vote.

Sincerely,

Erin Matson
Executive Director, Reproaction

P.S. We are so proud to stand with and support Judge Jackson. Join us in calling for her confirmation.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/opinion/supreme-court-jackson-mother.html

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/21/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-hearing-monday-takeaways/index.html

[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-22/gop-plots-questioning-for-jackson-on-sentencing-court-update

[4] https://reproductiverights.org/historic-nomination-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-what-you-need-to-know/

[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/ketanji-brown-jackson-key-highlights-day-3-supreme-court-hearing-rcna20093

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/us/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-woman-definition.html

[7] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/us/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-cory-booker.html

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