Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Makes History as Supreme Court's First Black Woman Justice

Credit: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States

Justice Stephen G. Breyer (Retired) administers the judicial oath to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the West Conference Room at the Supreme Court Building. Her husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, holds the Bible.

For the first time in its 233-year history, the Supreme Court has a black woman among its sitting justices.

On Thursday 51-year-old Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to replace the justice she once worked for as a law clerk — Justice Stephen Breyer. Justice Breyer administered the judicial oaths to her before his retirement became effective at noon, along with Chief Justice John Roberts.

“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God,” Jackson said in a statement issued by the court. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has officially made history by becoming the 1st Black woman to be sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice! I am overwhelmingly proud to experience this well-deserved and powerful moment! #BlackExcellence pic.twitter.com/bkWkIFZfhP

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 30, 2022

Jackson is the court's 116 justice and in replacing Justice Breyer, who sat on the bench for 27 years, joins one of the most diverse courts in the body's history.

Its membership includes representation from two of the country's largest minority groups and three major religions (Catholic, Protestant and Judaism). With the addition of Brown alongside Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, it will be the first time four women have served together on the nine-member court.

Biden nominated Jackson in February, a month after Breyer, 83, announced he would retire at the end of the court’s term.

The administration said in a statement that Biden "sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law" to replace Justice Breyer at the time of the selection.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

That’s a Biden Win! pic.twitter.com/ayHCZvNhdr

— Biden Wins (@BidensWins) June 30, 2022

"He also sought a nominee—much like Justice Breyer—who is wise, pragmatic, and has a deep understanding of the Constitution as an enduring charter of liberty," it added. "And the President sought an individual who is committed to equal justice under the law and who understands the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions have on the lives of the American people."

The Senate confirmed Jackson’s nomination in April. The vote was 53-47 in her favor. Every member of the Democrat caucus, along with three Republicans — Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah — voted yes to approve the historic pick.

Official Biography

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice,

was born in Washington, D.C., on September 14, 1970. She married Patrick Jackson in 1996, and they have two daughters. She received an A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard-Radcliffe College in 1992, and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1996. She served as a law clerk for Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 1996 to 1997, Judge Bruce M. Selya of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1997 to 1998, and Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1999 Term. After three years in private practice, she worked as an attorney at the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007, she served as an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C., and from 2007 to 2010, she was in private practice. She served as a Vice Chair and Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2010 to 2014. In 2012, President Barack Obama nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where she served from 2013 to 2021. She was appointed to the Defender Services Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States in 2017, and the Supreme Court Fellows Commission in 2019. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., appointed her to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021 and then nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2022. She took her seat on June 30, 2022.

R. Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

R. Kelly

Legendary R&B singer and songwriter R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday.

US district judge Ann Donnelly imposed the sentence on the 55-year-old at the federal court in Brooklyn for sexually abusing women, girls and boys.

The conviction comes over 20 years after allegations first arose against the three-time Grammy Award winner, real name Robert Sylvester Kelly.

The "I Believe I Can Fly," singer was charged with 21 counts of making child sexual abuse videos involving various sexual acts in June 2002. He was acquitted on all counts following a trial in 2008.

“With the aid of his inner circle and over a period of decades, the defendant preyed upon children and young women for his own sexual gratification," read a sentencing memorandum filed by federal prosecutors in the eastern district of New York.

It added, “In order to carry out his many crimes, the defendant relied upon his fame, money and popularity as an R&B recording star and used the large network of people his status afforded him – including his business managers, security guards and bouncers, runners, lawyers, accountants, and assistants – to both carry out and conceal his crimes.”

A jury in New York City found Kelly guilty of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across state lines for prostitution, last year. At the heart of the case against Kelly was his 1994 marriage to singer Aaliyah Haughton. The singer was 27 when he married the then 15-year-old Haughton.

Prosecutors said Kelly fraudulently married her to conceal abuse from when she was 12 or 13. Haughton died in 2001.

In handing down the sentence, the judge told Kelly "the public has to be protected from behaviors like this," according to the New York Times.

"These crimes were calculated and carefully planned and regularly executed for almost 25 years," Judge Donnelly added. "You taught them that love is enslavement and violence."

Kelly is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn. He is expected to be moved back to Chicago, where he faces another federal trial in August where he is charged with enticement of a minor, possession of child abuse images and obstruction of justice.

Silk Sonic, Diddy, Kendrick Lamar Highlight 2022 BET Awards Winners

 D'Mile and Bruno Mars of Silk Sonic accept Album of the Year for 'An Evening With Silk Sonic' onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

Sunday Silk Sonic slithered gracefully across the stage at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater to take top honors at the 2022 BET Awards.

The funky R&B duo — composed of singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and rapper Anderson .Paak — took home Album of the Year honors. It was also named Best Group for the second year in a row and .Paak was honored as Video Director of the Year.

It was a triumphant outing for Silk Sonic on a night when some of hip-hop's biggest stars left the network's self-declared "Culture's Biggest Night" with nothing to show for it.

Leading nominees Doja Cat, with six nominations, Drake (4) and Ari Lennox (4) went home empty-handed.

Kendrick Lamar was the night's other big winner. The rapper won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist for the fifth time, overtaking Drake for the most wins in the category. "Family Ties" the video for the rap team-up with his cousin, Baby Keem, was named Video of the Year.

Other highlights included rapper and entrepreneur Diddy being given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to music and Mary J. Blige receiving the BET Her Award.

Congrats to our favorite bad boy @diddy for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award! #BETAwards #CulturesBiggestNight #BET pic.twitter.com/U6oRVVSmRH

— BET (@BET) June 27, 2022

The night was not without controversy.

While introducing the Best female R'n'B/pop artist singer Janelle Monae, stuck her middle finger in the air and gave a riveting speech about women's reproductive rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which protected a pregnant woman's right to have an abortion, Friday by the Supreme Court.

"These artists are making art on our own terms, owning our truths and expressing ourselves freely and unapologetically in a world that tries to control and police our bodies, my body and our decisions, my body," she said. "F—k you Supreme Court. I know we're celebrating us right now as we should. We absolutely deserve to celebrate — especially now we should celebrate our art by protecting our rights and our truths."

.⁦@JanelleMonae at #BETAwards: “Fuck you, Supreme Court.”⁩ pic.twitter.com/D5V5onpIcC

— Gerren Keith Gaynor (@MrGerrenalist) June 27, 2022

Monae received a standing ovation.

The complete list of winners follows:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
An Evening with Silk Sonic – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic

BEST COLLABORATION
Wizkid feat. Justin Bieber & Tems – “Essence”

BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
Jazmine Sullivan

BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
The Weeknd

BEST NEW ARTIST
Latto

BEST GROUP
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Megan Thee Stallion

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Kendrick Lamar

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin – “We Win”

BET HER AWARD
Mary J. Blige – “Good Morning Gorgeous”

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Tems (Nigeria)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – “Family Ties”

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Anderson .Paak a.k.a. Director .Paak

BEST MOVIE
King Richard

BEST ACTRESS
Zendaya

BEST ACTOR
Will Smith

YOUNGSTARS AWARD
Marsai Martin

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Naomi Osaka

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Stephen Curry