very much, Mr Chairman.
Judge, Your honor. It's very good to see you. Forgive me. When you
were in my office. You were focused on the hearings and a lot of
the substance that had such great questions. I could not stop being
just joyous that you were sitting in my office.
And I couldn't stop bringing up to you The historical nature of this.
Forgive me. I grew up in a small black church where I was taught
to make a joyous noise under the Lord and this is not a normal day
for America.
We have never had this moment before.
And I just want to talk about the joy. I know tomorrow in the coming
hearings, we're going to have tough hard questions. But please let
me just acknowledge the fact that this is not normal. It's never
happened before. The Senate is poised, right and how
To break another bat barrier. We are on the precipice of shattering
another ceiling, Another glass sirin its ceiling. It's a sign that
we as a country or continuing to rise.
To our collective share cherished highest ideals.
I just feel this sense of overwhelming joy as I see you sitting there
as I see your family sitting behind you.
You know the greatness of America.
Is that these imperfect geniuses at our founding founded a nation
different than any before on human history.
It wasn't because we all prayed the same or look the same. They put
forth in a constitution the best hopes for humanity.
And the story of America, I think is a testimony to this world of
what diverse people can achieve.
It's been said by so many of my colleagues about the fact that we
have had
115 Supreme Court justices.
And we shouldn't diminish the accomplishments of mostly these 108
white men. They were extraordinary patriots who helped shape this
country.
But now we are seeing to the highest court in our land.
A hopeful day like this.
Get that so many of the people so much of the rich talent of our
nation.
Who could not scarcely ever dream of sitting on the Supreme Court.
Now we are showing that we will indeed go deep into the waters of
our nation and pull forth the best talent.
Extraordinary legal talent comes from all backgrounds. I know
But in our nation for the 200 plus years of our history, there have
been extraordinarily talented black people, men and women, Muslim
men and women from the founding of our nation.
We've seen extraordinary indigenous men and women all who probably
could have added to the greatness of our courts, but they were denied
that opportunity.
I believe we say these words Justice for all. But there are many
of people who feel those words have been diminished by the lack of
representation. The lack of avenues for talented people to ascend
to our courts, But
Fortunately, thanks to the sacrifices of all Americans, people on
both sides of the political aisle we have begun to see more and more
diverse Americans slowly
Get on to our federal courts.
My family celebrated that
I was born in 1969 the year that President Johnson nominated Thurgood
Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
It shook the wonderful foundations of our nations, and he became
a symbol.
To all of us, black and white.
Of what a Supreme Court justice can be. And then Ronald Reagan.
1981 roughly 200. Plus years since the founding of our nation, put
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. That was not a normal moment. It was
a moment to rejoice.
And now we've seen the President Obama put justice sort of sort of
Sonya Sotomayor, the first Hispanic on the court.
And what I'm seeing in this congress, my colleagues and I
Doing is we are opening the doors of diverse talent to our federal
courts in ways we've never seen before. Think about this. President
Biden has nominated the first ever Article three Muslim judge
To our federal courts. He nominated the first openly LGBTQ woman
to serve on our federal courts. He nominated Native American and
Asian American candidates who have appeared before this committee.
Incredibly talented individuals worthy of their positions Now act
enrolls to the benefit of our whole nation.
They herald the truth of who we are as a country and inclusive.
Multicultural nation that shows the world the promise of a true democracy.
In all over two thirds of the confirmed judges under the vitamin
ist rations have come from groups who historically have not been
represented on our federal courts.
So for this those reasons
And more to day to me is a day of joy. I cannot
Tell you how happy I am.
Today. We should rejoice because President Biden nominated someone
that we've heard.
To be 116th, associate judge of the Supreme Court, who is extra,
ordinarily talented.
It will also happens to be a black woman.
Something we've never seen before.
Judge Jackson's nomination breaks and artificially confining mold
of our past and opens up a more promising
Potential filled future for us all as Americans. It signals that
this nation will draw more deeply from all of our talent and genius
that will benefit all Americans.
This is the America that most of our families speak of, from all
our diverse backgrounds and America where anybody can achieve anything.
Not because of the color of their skin, but because of the content
of their character. And God, I can't wait for America to find out
more about your character.
When the next generation behind us
Looks at the highest court in the land.
This idea will maybe made more real and even just the faces of the
nine
You bring this wealth of experience that's exciting to me.
You've seen so many parts of our legal system.
But I just want to talk about you your role as a public defender,
because that too
Is unprecedented.
I have a friend that my there just was at the prayer breakfast here
in Congress, Bryan Stevenson. He has his saying, he says. We have
a justice system that treats you better if you're rich and guilty
than if you're poor and innocent.
I'm not sure if most Americans know that 80% of those who go before
our nation's criminal courts can't afford
An attorney.
To this end of public defender should be looked at as one of the
most honorable roles within our judicial system. And yet we have
never had a public defender or anyone who served as a public defender
on our highest court.
In it, unfortunately, is very lacking amongst all federal judges.
You wrote Judge that the role of the public defender made you a better
judge. You said it gave you a chance to quote help people in need.
Enter promote core constitutional values.
Or the Sixth Amendment, right to the assistance of counsel is guaranteed,
regardless of wealth, and despite the nature of the accusations
I honor that more than you know, as someone who started in legal
clinics at Yale.
I had my empathy expanded. I had my understanding of the struggles
of my fellow Americans in ways that shaped my entire professional
career.
I love the fact that you have been a bridge builder and so many ways.
You have the support of Republican appointed judges and Democratic
appointed judges. Heck, you were confirmed by the Senate in a bipartisan
manner three times. I love the fact that you have the support of
civil rights lawyers and our largest police.
Organizations like the F L P. It is a testimony to what this nation
needs more of
People that will find ways not to accentuate the lines that divide
but try to find more ties that bind us together.
Let me go. One note more personal.
Back to you sitting in my office.
I can't tell you
How? Before our meeting how many people reached out to me with very
emotional moments.
You know my mom's deltas
heard from many links sisters.
I cannot tell you what it meant to be. So when you came to my office
rarely, I was a little kind of nervous. Even
And
And then you started talking about your family and your parents.
I want to tell your parents you and I have something in common. We're
both around the same age. Both of our parents graduated from HBC
use my dad.
Mr. Brown, A doctor Brown is also an eagle. He went to North Carolina
Central, just like you.
And they came to D. C. My mom worked in the D C. Public schools,
this brown just like you.
And your story, the more you talked
Americans from all backgrounds. No. One it is to be underestimated
and looked down upon.
When they told you you were too ambitious for wanting to go to Harvard.
You were a mom that faced career challenges.
At your private law firm. How many women can relate to that?
The more you spoke about your personal story, The more I know it
is an American story that folks from all backgrounds can relate to.
But there's something that really moved me.
Behind you and your family is your daughter Leila.
And when she was 11 years old, I love this. She wrote a letter to
President Obama urging him to nominate his her her mother you to
the United States Supreme Court.
Wow. And in that letter, her recommendation put forward
That you judge Jackson would be quote a great Supreme Court justice.
I suspect after these proceedings and please God.
After your confirmation, the Supreme Court something new will happen
in America.
That that letter from your daughter will not be exceptional.
Generations of little young girls and generations of little young
boys, no matter who their parents are, We'll have the audacity to
write the president of the United States.
Whether their daughters of white parents or black parents were biracial
parents or Muslim and Jewish parents, Sikh or Hindu parents. We're
going to see a new generation of Children talking about their mamas.
And daring to write to the president of the United States of America
that my mom should be on the Supreme Court.
Well, I want to tell your daughter right now.
That that dream of hers is so close to being a reality. Some tough
days ahead, but
I think it could happen.
And your grandparents generation.
Literally this week back in 1965.
When my parents were
In Washington, D C.
In that week.
There was a man named Martin Luther King, who began on this day of
March from Selma to Montgomery, and when he finally made it
On the 25th of March.
He
Talk to people who are losing faith in America that we can be who
we say we are, and he says for those folks, how long will we have
to wait? Not long because the ark
Of the moral universe is long and it bends towards justice.
Well, today, America is witnessing
The literal bending of the ark.
And the conducting of one of the most sacred ideals of this country.
Justice for all, I think more people at the end of these hearings
and after Senate vote, more people will believe
That we can be the nation. We say we are when we put our hand on
our heart.
Indeed, I think you
And your family are giving a lot more people.
Faith that we will achieve a nation of liberty and justice for all.
Thank you.