Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first Black woman Supreme Court justice in US History

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April 7, 2022

By April Ryan, TheGrio

The nation’s first Black woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, notably presided over the historic vote on the Senate floor.

U.S. President Joe Biden congratulates Ketanji Brown Jackson moments after the U.S. Senate confirmed her to be the first Black woman to be a justice on the Supreme Court in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on April 07, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been officially confirmed to the Supreme Court as the first Black woman justice in U.S. history after the Senate voted 53-47 Thursday afternoon in favor of President Joe Biden’s nomination for the high court.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Black woman to serve in the role, presided over the historic vote — making the moment doubly historic. “This nomination is confirmed,” said Vice President Harris after the votes were tallied on the Senate floor. Shortly after, the chamber burst into applause.

Judge Jackson watched alongside President Biden at the White House inside the Roosevelt Room as the Senate took up the vote for confirmation. Moments after the confirmation, the two embraced with a hug. Jackson was visibly emotional.

Jackson will begin serving her lifetime appointment in October to fill the seat being left vacant by Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring at the end of this Supreme Court session.

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