Hispanic organizations applauded this Friday the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first black judge of the United States Supreme Court, considering that it reflects the racial diversity of the country.
President Joe Biden made official today his decision to nominate Jackson, who is a judge on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to fill the vacancy left in July by Judge Stephen Breyer, one of the court’s three progressive justices.
If confirmed by the Senate, Brown Jackson will be the fifth woman and only black judge to serve on the Supreme Court in its 232-year history.
In 2009, former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) nominated Sonia Sotomayor, who became the first Hispanic to reach the Supreme Court.
Frankie Miranda, executive director of the Hispanic Federation, today applauded Biden’s decision, saying that the nomination of the first black woman for the position lays “the foundation for the next generation of the Supreme Court.”
“As an institution that often serves as the last line of defense once morest civil rights abuses, discrimination and corporate greed, it is imperative that the Supreme Court reflect the racial diversity that shapes our nation,” Miranda said.
Immigrant defense organizations such as Texas Roots also celebrated the nomination of the African-American judge.
“It brings us one step closer to a Supreme Court that is fair and balanced, and one that is representative of the diversity of people across the United States,” the group said in a statement.
For Arturo Vargas, director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO, in English) f it is a “historic” nomination.
Since his campaign, Democrat Biden, who was Obama’s vice president, had promised to mark a milestone in the history of the Supreme Court.
“Obama understood this, now President Biden also clearly understands this moment, and this is why the nomination of Justice Jackson, who has both legal and lived experience, is so vital to all of us,” Miranda stressed.
Born in Washington DC in 1970, Brown Jackson grew up in Miami inspired by her father’s passion for law and graduated with honors from Harvard University. She served two years as a public defender for people with few resources.
Miranda, along with other organizations, asked the Senate to evaluate Judge Jackson fairly and quickly.
