The National Park Service recently made quite the discovery that was actually hidden in plain sight. The Mount Clare train station in Baltimore, Maryland, is getting recognition for playing a major role in the Underground Railroad. Kris Hoellen, the executive director of the B&O Railroad Museum, and her team have discovered that the Mount Clare station was used by at least 20 confirmed freedom-seekers heading north to escape slavery.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:
“I’m deeply grateful to President Biden for conducting a rigorous and thorough process to determine his first Supreme Court nominee. He clearly found the best person for the job.
“I’m so impressed with Judge Jackson’s exemplary career, particularly her experience as a public defender -- a deeply important role in our justice system that no one who’s ever served on the Supreme Court has experience doing. This kind of occupational diversity is badly needed on our nation’s highest court, and helps root Judge Jackson in the reality that the Court’s decisions have on people’s lives -- especially those without great wealth and privilege.
“This is a Jackie Robinson moment for our nation. For generations America has been blessed with extraordinary legal talent in people of all backgrounds, but for the first time in our history an extraordinarily talented Black woman will serve on the Supreme Court. I’m profoundly moved by this; my heart aches with joy. I’m committed to doing everything possible to make sure that Judge Jackson becomes the next justice on the Supreme Court.”
Watch Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson comment on her nomination from the White House.
Former President Obama released the following statement on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court:
I want to congratulate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on her nomination to the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson has already inspired young Black women like my daughters to set their sights higher, and her confirmation will help them believe they can be anything they want to be.
As a protégé of Justice Breyer, Judge Jackson earned a reputation for pragmatism and consensus building. It’s part of why I nominated her twice – first as a district judge, and then to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where she earned praise from both Democrats and Republicans.
Like Justice Breyer, Judge Jackson understands that the law isn’t just about abstract theory. It’s about people’s lives. @POTUS Biden has made an excellent choice, and I look forward to seeing Judge Jackson confirmed.
The NAACP issued the following statement on President Biden's nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States:
"The NAACP applauds President Biden's nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. This is a historic moment for our nation and our community in particular. President Biden has met this moment with an extraordinarily qualified nominee, who has stellar credentials and an impeccable background," said Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO.
"This is tremendously exciting news. We have been calling for this at the NAACP. We need Black women at every level of the judiciary, and especially on the highest court of the land," said NAACP general counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace. "Beginning with Judge Jane Bolin and Judge Constance Baker Motley, Black women have been highly qualified and exceptional judges — and as such, they have been valuable members of the judicial system and they made incredibly unique contributions."
Since 1789, 115 justices have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, and not one has been a Black woman. The Court decides critical cases impacting the lives of all Americans, ranging from voting rights, economic justice, equal educational opportunity, reproductive rights, environmental justice, consumer rights, and criminal justice. Representation of a Black woman on the highest court of the land is long overdue. Her presence and voice on the Court will undoubtedly enrich its perspective and improve its decision-making.
A Washington DC native who was raised in Miami, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Judge Jackson clerked for three federal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, whose seat she would fill. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In 2021, President Biden elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Importantly, Judge Jackson would bring a unique background to the Supreme Court, having spent a significant portion of her career working to ensure fairness in the criminal legal system. She served as a federal public defender in Washington DC, which would make her the first justice since Thurgood Marshall to bring criminal defense expertise to the Court. Judge Jackson also served as a staff attorney and later as a commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
In keeping with the NAACP's long-standing practice of reviewing the records of all nominees to the Supreme Court, we look forward to reviewing Judge Jackson's entire record and sharing our views with the U.S. Senate.
As the Senate exercises its "advice and consent" responsibility under the Constitution with respect to this historic nomination, we urge each and every senator to treat Judge Jackson with the respect, dignity, and courtesy she deserves. We note that certain members of the Senate have shown significant hostility toward President Biden's woman nominees of color — both to executive and judicial positions. We caution those senators that the eyes of the nation are watching. Reviewing a Supreme Court nomination is one of the Senate's most august responsibilities, and it must do so fairly and respectfully, especially given the historic nature of this appointment.
