The Confirmation of the Newest US Supreme Court Justice: A Hard-Earned Victory

Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

The U.S. will have its first Black female Supreme Court justice: Ketanji Brown Jackson. It is a historic moment that comes 58 years after the Civil Rights Act that granted African Americans equality, at least before the law. The judge, who was nominated by Joe Biden and whose credentials are considered unquestionable by experts, was confirmed Thursday by 53 of 100 U.S. senators, including three Republicans.

Of course, her confirmation will not change the ideological composition of the Supreme Court, which consists of six conservative justices and only three progressive members of the court. But apart from the fact that there is finally a Black woman on the highest court in the U.S., Biden badly needed this confirmation. He can finally deliver on one of his central election promises. His presidency, which has been hampered by a deep ideological and party-political rift, has not been going well.

The typical Supreme Court justice is still male, older and, above all, white. Some of the things that KBJ, as she is already being called, has had to put up with can be categorized as racist and misogynistic. In any case, her hearing at times featured grotesque party politics. KBJ skillfully countered Republican attacks and remained objective. All those involved in the U.S. political circus should follow her example.