Ketanji Brown Jackson to be sworn in as Supreme Court justice

Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in as a Supreme Court justice on Thursday, making her the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court.

Jackson, a former public defender who has served as a federal judge since 2013, will be sworn in during a small ceremony shortly after Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement becomes official. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the constitutional oath and Breyer will administer the judicial oath.

Jackson’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate in a 53-47 vote in April. Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman elected to her role, presided over the vote.

Jackson watched the vote in the White House alongside President Joe Biden, who nominated her as Breyer’s replacement in February, fulfilling a campaign promise to pick a Black woman if given the opportunity. At 51, she is young enough to hold the seat for decades.

“For too long our government, our courts, haven’t looked like America,” Biden said when he nominated Jackson. “I believe it’s time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation.”

At the time, Jackson said: “If I’m fortunate enough to be confirmed as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded, will inspire future generations of Americans.”