ATLANTA — Black wives-in-law from across the country are anxiously awaiting the Senate’s final appeal for confirmation from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the Supreme Court.
Zenell Brown, attorney and clerk for Wayne County Third Circuit Court in Michigan, where she serves 58 judges, said Ms Jackson’s awaited confirmation after what had felt like a confirmation process brought both pride and a sigh of relief would provoke attack on their character.
“It was just harassment,” said Ms. Brown, 57. “As a black woman, you know what went on there at the Senate confirmation hearing, but you also know how it goes on in her day-to-day life.”
Since President Biden announced his appointment of Judge Jackson in February, Ms. Brown has been following the process closely. Each night of the hearings, she watched clips and read the day’s news, spoke to friends and family, and posted her thoughts on social media.
Her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, was particularly excited because she never imagined a black woman would be on the pitch in her life, Ms Brown said. Their youngest daughter, who is 30, joked that Judge Jackson must be part of the family because they share a last name.
“We’re not related, but it’s an example of how we all just want to be a part of this exciting moment,” she said. “We feel like ‘this is part of me,’ and I’m so proud.”
Emanuella Groves, an Ohio appeals judge, said Ms Jackson’s awaited confirmation gave her hope for the current and future generation of black attorneys, including her daughter, who works in the civil rights field, and her son-in-law, who is a voter protection attorney.
Still, the confirmation hearings were exciting for Judge Groves, 63, but also sobering as she thought of Ms Jackson’s questioning.
“The manner in which some senators were questioned was not an attempt to ensure that a qualified attorney would be selected who would interpret the Constitution fairly, but was evidence of their desire to select a judge who would interpret the law how they want it,” she said. “That desire was greater than being a part of history when the first black woman lawyer was brought to the Supreme Court.”
Erin McNeil Young, a North Carolina civil trial attorney, said there were moments in the confirmation hearings that she found triggering, particularly when senators questioned Judge Jackson’s qualifications.
However, what moved her the most was seeing the judge’s parents on the gallery to support their daughter.
“Her hardworking black loving parents who were raised by segregation sat and watched,” Ms Young said. “And what impresses me the most is that they were both able to witness this moment after what they went through a generation ago.”
“That was nice to see,” she added, noting that Judge Jackson at that moment “could have been any number of my friends with their moms and dads sitting there proud.”