'She's an incredible judge and she deserves to be there' | UT law professor pleased with KBJ nomination - WBIR.com
If confirmed, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson would be the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The historical impact of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court is not lost on many women of color.
If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman to sit on the court.
"To me, it's recognition that among the best and brightest legal minds in this country, there are Black women," University of Tennessee College of Law professor Teri Dobbins Baxter said.
Black women have accounted for fewer than 2% of people who have ever served as federal judges in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
Baxter has been a professor of law for two decades. "I've been at UT since 2013, but I've been in law teaching since 2002," she explained.
Over the years, Baxter has taught students with various backgrounds and life experiences. She recognizes the importance of diversity within her classroom.
"When we talk about these really important issues, they get to see it from perspectives they may not have considered before," she said.
A different perspective may soon be reflected in the country's highest court.
On the first day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on March 21, Jackson thanked her parents for inspiring her to get to that moment.
"They gave me an African name, 'Ketanji Onyika,' which they told me means 'lovely one,'" Jackson said during her opening remarks. "Unlike the many barriers that they had to face growing up, my path was clearer."
Baxter said for some young people, Jackson may now be that inspiration they need.
"Even being very good, you have to be among the best of the best to get to the Supreme Court. And yet she's done that. And I see I think seeing somebody who looks like you who has done that makes it seem more possible, even if you knew in some way that it was possible before."
She explained that having a Black woman on the Supreme Court would ensure varying viewpoints are considered when decisions are being made.
"It's clear that Judge Brown Jackson is not just an incredible Black woman, but she's an incredible lawyer," Baxter said. "She's an incredible judge and she deserves to be there based on her accomplishments and her credentials."
A vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jackson's confirmation is expected on April 4.
source: https://www.wbir.com/article/news/politics/judge-kbj-nomination-utk-knoxville-east-tennessee/51-8635a11e-6738-4c41-96b1-2e350ed051d0
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