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Supreme Court Justice Jackson Proclaims: ‘We’ve Made It. All of Us’
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Two hundred and thirty-two years, 116 justices, 108 white men, six women, two Black men and one Latinx woman later, the U.S. Supreme Court finally has an African-American woman serving as associate justice.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson earned confirmation with a 53-47 vote, breaking the glass ceiling after America’s first Black woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, presided over the process to confirm her.
“It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” Jackson proclaimed a day after her confirmation during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
“But we’ve made it. We’ve made it. All of us. All of us,” she declared, add-
5 Ketanji Brown Jackson (Courtesy photo)
ing “Our children are telling me that they see now more than ever that here in America, anything is possible.”
Jackson said she has been flooded with thousands of meaningful notes from children and others.
She said the letters from youth touched her deeply.
“Because more than anything, they speak directly to the hope and promise of America,” she asserted. “[Children] also tell me that I am a role model, which I take both as an opportunity and as a huge responsibility.
“I am feeling up to the task, primarily because I know that I am not alone. I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models. Generations of Americans who never had anything close to this kind of opportunity but who got up every day and went to work believing in the promise of America,” she said.
President Joe Biden acknowledged his historic nomination and the recently confirmed associate justice.
“I mean this from the bottom my heart. This is going to let so much sunshine on so many young women, so many young Black women,” Biden said. “We’re going to look back and see this as a moment of real change in American history.”
Harris, who presided over the Senate vote, said Jackson’s confirmation served a higher purpose.
“This will answer fundamental questions about who we are and what kind of country we live in,” Harris said. “You will inspire generations of leaders. They will watch your confirmation hearings and read your decisions in the years to come. Today is indeed a wonderful day.”
The arduous and volatile confirmation hearings served to underscore that while more than 3,800 individuals have served on federal benches in the U.S., only 70 have been Black women.
Following four days of public testimony and a racially-charged grilling of Jackson by Republicans that began on March 21, Senate Judiciary members deadlocked 11-11 on April 4 to
Americans Comment on Judge Jackson’s Historic Confirmation
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
“Judge Jackson has a demonstrated record of excellence. I believe, based upon her work as a trial judge when I served on the Court of Appeals, that she will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan.”
-Former President
Barack Obama
“Words cannot express the overwhelming joy I feel for all the Black women, public defenders and legal aid attorneys who have ever aspired to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. We know that wealth and race, unfortunately, continue to decide outcomes in too many court cases. Judge Jackson’s professional experience is what is needed to help people who are caught in the intersection between poverty and the legal system.”
-April Frazier Camara, president/CEO National Legal
Aid & Defender Association
“Judge Jackson’s nomination stands as proof that politicians can honor their promises once they are elected, as President Biden and the Senate majority have done. We look forward to the brilliant opinions she will write and the power of her personality to influence skeptics on and off the court.
-National Council of
Negro Women President/
Chair Thelma Thomas Daley
“With this extraordinary, glass-breaking moment, Black girls across the U.S. will have more than their dreams of being a Supreme Court Justice to demonstrate ‘that with hard work, determination and love, it can be done.’ It is my honor to know Judge Jackson and I believe we will be one step closer to our pursuit of a more perfect union when she is sworn in as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.”
-Ward 5 Councilman
Kenyan McDuffie
“In its 233 years of existence, there has never been a Black woman on the U. S. Supreme Court. That will no longer be the case. I want to thank President Biden and the Biden-Harris Administration for fulfilling its campaign promise and acknowledging that it is long overdue for a Black woman to serve on the highest court of the land.”
-Melanie Campbell, president,
National Coalition on Black
Civic Participation and convener of the Black
Women’s Roundtable
“Judge Jackson’s nomination is historic, not only because she will be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice but her service will mark the first time two
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Federal Tax Deadline Fast Approaching – Monday, April 18
WI Staff Report
If you’re one of those people that’s still working on your taxes, you’re in luck this year. Because of the way the calendar falls and because of an annual event in the District, Tax Day has been extended to Monday, April 18.
That’s right, the stars have perfectly aligned.
The federal tax deadline, typically on April 15, falls on April 18 this year. And for the lucky residents of two states, taxes aren’t due until April 19. The extra cushion has nothing to do with the pandemic, which led to tax filing deadlines being pushed back considerably over the last two years. This year’s extension occurs because the traditional April 15 Tax Day conflicts with two lesser-known local holidays.
This year’s deadline, April 18, has been extended because the Internal Revenue Service’s District of Columbia offices will be closed on Friday, April 15, in observance of the District’s locally-recognized Emancipation Day.
The D.C. public holiday technically falls on Saturday, April 16 but is observed by the government on the closest weekday when it falls on a weekend. Congress initially set the filing deadline in March but it revised the Internal Revenue Code in 1954, moving the deadline to April 15, where it remains.
Over the last 67 years, Tax Day has fallen outside of the traditional date 26 times. After D.C. Emancipation Day came officially online in 2005, Tax Day has landed on April 15 only seven times, the last time being in 2019. Emancipation Day will postpone the IRS deadline again in 2023.
WI
QUOTES from Page 14
Black justices have served together and bring the Court nearer to gender parity with four women justices.
“It will also be the first time a public defender serves on the Court. Judge Jackson has remained dedicated to fighting for the most vulnerable members of our society and fought for the constitutional rights of all.
“This country deserves a Supreme Court Justice of Judge Jackson’s caliber, grace and poise with a unique perspective that has never been seen on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Urban League movement was proud to fight for her and we look forward to the joy of celebrating this historic milestone with the nation.”
-Marc Morial, president/
CEO, National Urban League
WI
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.
April is Financial Literacy month. Estate Planning is a vital part of financial planning. It is exciting for me to see the many lessons and resources available about how to budget, invest, protect and financially grow more sophisticated. I am equally in awe of the many apps, technology and websites that help the “DIY” Do It Yourselfer’s.
I want to take the time to share a Proverb. Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14). Haven’t you heard the cliché, “I know just enough to be dangerous”? Unfortunately, I, along with many colleagues can share nightmares of the DIY impact that initially was embarked to save money but turned out to cost not only money but emotional distress and potential family classes.
In many cases, people are what we used to say “penny wise and pound foolish”. People are often not willing to pay for the advice and guidance but the risk they take is pretty impactful. We often confuse cost with value. As an estate planning attorney some of the most common mistakes I have seen include downloading Powers of Attorney and Wills that do not have all of the safeguards and protections that the jurisdiction can allow or require. While there was little or no cost, the value of having properly executed documents is significant. I often proclaim that Attorneys are professional pessimists. We have the experience of seeing what can go wrong in other circumstances and guarding against it. In estate planning we need to guard against both greed and grief. Those two strong emotions can create action and inaction that can devastate loved ones.
I have been the person to give the bad news when a family has come to me to probate the estate of a loved one who has passed away. The pennies that were saved when a person downloaded a document was realized during the lifetime, however, the conversations about the errors and omissions that were required increased the legal costs and the time required to navigate the court proceedings that have become necessary after he or she passed away. The legal navigations are frustrating and devastating when coupled with grief. Professional advisors can guide you how to best make financial decisions that not only save money today but also growth your wealth in your lifetime as well as your descendants. Consulting with professionals helps you to identify appropriate people who can act on your behalf if you are sick or when you pass away are not discussed because there was not a professional with whom to probe or question the considerations.
When you download from a website, you don’t have the opportunity to present your desired outcomes. We each need a cadre of professionals, multitude of counsel, to provide guidance on how to not only grow wealth, with financial advisors, preserve wealth, through accountants and tax advisors, as well as pass to the next generation.
As I often say we are better together! Be thoughtful about how to invest in yourself and your family. You may save a few dollars by doing yourself. Unfortunately, the true loss is not measured until after it is too late. Remember to balance the value as you weigh the cost.
