AUSTIN, Texas — Appellate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson could become the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
"The Supreme Court has been around since 1778. That’s 233 years. And for the majority of that time, 93% have been white men,” said criminal defense attorney Rick Flores.
Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi Isabel Araiza said Jackson's nomination has a positive impact on representation.
“It's the highest court of the land. And to be able to see somebody who is a member of one of the largest racialized groups in the United States is important,” she said.
Not only would she be the first Black woman on the court, but she also is one of the few criminal defense lawyers to ever be on the court.
“She would be the first justice in about 30 years that will have significant experience in criminal defense. A lot of the current justices have experience as prosecutors,” said Flores.
According to an ABC News and Washington Post poll, 78% of Democrats say a Black female justice would be a good thing for the U.S., with 42% of Independents agreeing along with 16% of Republicans.
“It’s important that she brings a new fresh perspective that’s very different from the other justices, not only that are currently on the bench but in the history of the Supreme Court,” said Flores.
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