On April 7, the U.S. Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th Supreme Court Justice.
Three GOP senators voted for Brown Jackson—Mitt Romney, of Utah; Susan Collins, of Maine; and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska. All 50 Democrats supported her.
Brown Jackson will be the first-ever Black woman to sit on the bench. President Joe Biden had said during his 2020 presidential campaign that he was committed to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court if elected.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to remain conservative, even with the addition of a liberal justice.
In a statement, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, "It's a historic day in America. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is now confirmed as the first Black woman to be on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson's impressive and extensive legal experience simply speaks for itself. Throughout the Senate Judiciary process, she demonstrated the kind of intellect, empathy, and mettle that Americans deserve from a judge with a lifetime appointment to our nation's highest court.
"As a Black female lawyer myself, I am beaming with pride and add my voice to the chorus of well-wishers who are congratulating Judge Jackson on making history today. She may be the first, but she will certainly not be the last. She will continue to inspire many others who look like her to follow in her footsteps."
Sarah Kate Ellis—the president and CEO of LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD—said in a separate item, "LGBTQ rights are under attack all across this country, and today's confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court is a critical step to ensure our hard-won progress is not reversed by those using the courts to fight outdated culture wars. Judge Jackson's experience and judicial temperament will make her one of the most qualified justices ever to serve on the Court. GLAAD congratulates Judge Jackson and our entire nation on this historic and long overdue representation."
