We saw history being made as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed
The Florida Democratic Black Women’s Consortium witnessed history being made as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. This historic first is an inspiration to all Black women, especially young Black girls aspiring to achieve their dreams.
We watched Judge Jackson’s historic confirmation hearings. We watched her endure hateful and nonsensical questioning. We could only insert race into those hearings. Otherwise, why would she have been asked to define “woman?” Or endure lengthy commentaries about her judgment being too soft on crime. Or whether she has a hidden motive to promote critical race theory.
The GOP senators who hammered these questions at Judge Jackson never questioned Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s lack of judgment when he was accused of assaulting a woman or his beer consumption that led to that accusation. Or even when he bellowed that he loved beer. GOP senators excused Kavanaugh’s actions as youthful indiscretions.
The FDBWC finds Sens. Marco Rubio’s and Rick Scott’s nay votes very problematic. Their votes pain us because, as a young girl, Ketanji Brown lived in Florida and received her early education through the Miami-Dade public school system. That should have counted for something with Florida’s senators. It should have shown that students who are products of Florida’s public education system can successfully compete with any students in our nation.
The GOP senators who hammered these questions at Judge Jackson never questioned Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s lack of judgment when he was accused of assaulting a woman or his beer consumption that led to that accusation. Or even when he bellowed that he loved beer. GOP senators excused Kavanaugh’s actions as youthful indiscretions.
The FDBWC finds Sens. Marco Rubio’s and Rick Scott’s nay votes very problematic. Their votes pain us because, as a young girl, Ketanji Brown lived in Florida and received her early education through the Miami-Dade public school system. That should have counted for something with Florida’s senators. It should have shown that students who are products of Florida’s public education system can successfully compete with any students in our nation.
We thank the three Republican senators who voted affirmatively for Judge Jackson. We thank them for considering her character and ability to apply the rule of law without inserting partisan politics. And we thank them for not choosing party over qualifications as Scott did, and I quote, “I have no interest in voting to confirm a liberal justice who thinks it’s her job to legislate from the bench and rubber stamp Joe Biden’s liberal agenda.”
Valerie Brant-Wilson, Vero Beach, is the chair of the Florida Democratic Black Women’s Consortium.
