Judge Kentaji Brown Jackson is making history as the first Black woman to ever sit for hearings as a Supreme Court Justice nominee. The 51-year old has broken barriers as a Supreme Court clerk, a public defender and as a Judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Brown was also confirmed by
a bipartisan vote in 2010 to serve as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. As the
world watches to see if America will realize its first Black, female Supreme Court Justice, the
AFRO has put together a brief timeline of events leading up to the final Senate vote:
• January 27: After a swirl of rumor one day prior, Justice Stephen Breyer officially announces
his retirement from the Supreme Court of the United States. Breyer joined the Supreme Court
in 1994 after a nomination from former President Bill Clinton.
• January 27: President Joe Biden announces that he would like to choose a Black woman to
replace Justice Stephen Breyer.
