Ketanji Brown Jackson: First Black Woman on the US Supreme Court
The Major Parties The US has two major political parties the Democratic and Republican Parties Democrats are usually more liberal and believe the government should do more for citizens Republicans are usually more conservative and believe the government should step back and let individuals take more responsibility for themselves But Cruz wasn't satisfied He held up another children's book about racism He read passages to Jackson and then asked her whether she agreed This time Jackson didn't hesitate Senator she said I have not reviewed any of those books any of those ideas They don't come up in my work as a judge which I am respectfully here to address Jackson smiled as she spoke but her words were serious Clearly she could lead under pressure advocate for herself and respect others These qualities made her a standout candidate for the Supreme Court Standout Student Jackson was born Ketanji Onyika Brown on September 14 1970 in Washington DC Her parents Johnny and
The US Capitol Building center in Washington DC Ellery Brown picked her name from a list sent to them by her aunt a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa Ketanji Onyika means lovely one and honors the family's African heritage Ketanji's parents were both teachers But when Ketanji was three the family moved so her father could go to law school in Miami Florida As a preschooler she sat next to him at the dining room table with a stack of coloring books to match his stack of law books It was the beginning of her interest in studying the law Growing up in Florida Ketanji enjoyed working hard to do her best whether she was studying or pursuing her hobbies She played piano for several years and loved
reading and writing She enjoyed public speaking from an early age In first grade she won a contest at a youth fair for reciting For My People a poem about Black courage by Margaret Walker Ketanji's mother became the principal of a public magnet high school a school with a specialized curriculum Her father became the chief attorney for the Miami Dade school board Both were successful and had grown up battling racism They wanted their daughter to believe she could do anything and be anything she wanted to be Jackson's brother left and parents watch her confirmation hearing
Little Brother Ketanji was ten years old when her brother Ketajh was born Growing up with so many years between them Ketanji sometimes felt as though she was still an only child As an adult Ketajh Brown was a police officer before joining the Maryland National Guard He eventually became a lawyer like Ketanji As Ketanji got older she stood out as a star student who wasn't afraid to speak up for what she believed in At Miami Palmetto High School she was elected class president three years in a row When US interior secretary Donald Hodel visited Ketanji was one of a group of students who confronted him about oil drilling that damaged Florida's reefs Ketanji was also one of the top students on the debate team traveling the country to compete One competition took her to Cambridge Massachusetts where she saw the Harvard University campus She knew right away that she wanted to apply Back home her guidance counselor wasn't encouraging and told her not to aim so high But Ketanji didn't listen and applied to her dream school anyway When she was accepted her classmates celebrated with her Every student was so happy for Ketanji and so proud of her accomplishment recalled Ketanji's former
