History was made on Thursday as the United States Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first ever black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
The 51-year-old was nominated in February 2022 by US President Joe Biden for the supreme court and he described her confirmation as a “historic moment for our nation”.
The appointment marks the first time in 233 years that the United State’s high court will not be majorly occupied by white men.
“This milestone should have happened generations ago… but we are always trotting on a path towards a more perfect union. Nevertheless, America today is taking a giant step towards making our union more perfect,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
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“People sometimes talk about standing on the shoulders of giants; well, Judge Jackson will go down in history as an American giant upon whose shoulders others will stand tall. And our democracy will be better off for it.” He added.
Four of the justices on the nine-member Supreme Court will be women once Jackson takes her seat, making it the most diverse bench in American history. Of the five men on the bench, four are white, and Clarence Thomas is African American.