The crowd erupted when the Justice took the stage to read an excerpt from her best-selling memoir, paying homage to her first and middle names–Ketanji Onyika–meaning “Lovely One.”
On a brisk September night, members of Charlotte elite gathered at the newly revamped Carolina Theatre to hear words from the first Black women to ever sit on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
As the program was put on by the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, in collaboration with The Gambrell Soundation and the Arts + Science Council, the audience became engaged in the conversation, moderated by Gantt himself. Gantt is known for his philanthropy work in addition to being the first African-American student of Clemson University in 1963 and Charlotte’s first Black mayor in 1983.
The two history makers chatted about her journey to becoming the first Black woman justice in the Supreme Court’s 236-year history, succeeding retired Justice Stephen Breyer, for who she worked as a law clerk. “The vision precedes the passage,” she said as she chatted about how she served on every level of federal court. Graduating from Harvard University, Brown Jackson talked about her days as an undergrad, where she met her husband, Patrick, in an era during which she found herself struggling to fit in.
But it was one particular moment she shared with the audience that made some tear up in addition to thunderous applause. The mother of two reminisced on one day walking on campus, feeling slightly down being away from the warm Florida weather, and celebrating her 18th birthday in the cool Cambridge, Massachusetts, fall. And out of nowhere, a Black woman started walking towards her and whispered “persevere” to her and scurried away. She took that as a sign that she was exactly where she needed to be, remembering words from her aunts of angels always being around her without knowing.
And remembering a famous quote from renowned author Toni Morrison after fighting to have a Confederate flag removed. “The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work…” the novelist once said.
It;s words such as Morrison’s that helped Brown Jackson realize that not only did she earn her seat on the Supreme Court, but deserved it. “I have a seat at the table now and I’m ready to work,” she told the audience.
“And I feel that.”
RELATED CONTENT: Justice Jackson Rips Supreme Court For Letting Trump Block $783M Research Funding
Source: Black Enterprise
