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Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first-ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court as a justice. After she assumed office in June 2022, she’s been part of the Democratic minority of judges serving the court. Ketanji was President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer. Besides her historic position, she’s also a loving mom. She shares two daughters with her husband Patrick G. Jackson. Throughout the entire process, she has been sure to let her kids know how much they mean to her. “You are the light of my life. Please know that whatever title I may hold or whatever job I may have, I will still be your mom. That will never change,” she said when news of her nomination first broke in February.
When Jackson was sworn in as Supreme Court Justice on June 30, 2022, both of her daughters were there to show her support, and they looked extra proud of their mom. The girls were also acknowledged (along with their dad Patrick G. Jackson) by Chief Justice John Roberts, before he gave their mom the oaths. “I would like to recognize Dr. Patrick Jackson, who is here, her husband, and her daughters Talia and Leila,” he said.
During the first day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on March 22, she spoke directly to her daughters (via CNN). “Girls, I know it has not been easy as I have tried to navigate the challenges of juggling my career and motherhood,” she said lovingly. “And I fully admit that I did not always get the balance right. But I hope that you have seen that with hard work, determination, and love, it can be done.” Here’s everything you need to know about the two young ladies who hold a very special place in Ketanji’s heart.
Talia Jackson
Talia Jackson is Ketanji’s oldest daughter. Talia was able to take time to support her mother as she was present on the first day of Kentaji’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing. She kept it classy wearing a black floral print dress as she watched her mother speak. Ketanji’s address in today’s hearing wasn’t the first time she has directly addressed being a parent to her two girls.
Ketanji spoke at the 35th Edith House Lecture in 2017 where she not only called her daughters “sassy sisters” but opened up with the struggles she had raising her eldest, Talia, while starting a new job at a form. “The firm was very supportive, but I don’t think it is possible to overstate the degree of difficulty that many young women and especially new mothers face in the law firm context,” she explained. “The hours are long. The workflow is unpredictable. You have little control over your time and your schedule, and you start to feel as though the demands of the billable hour are constantly in conflict with the needs of your children and your family responsibilities.”
Leila Jackson
Leila Jackson is Ketanji’s youngest daughter. She has proved that she has plenty of ambition. She rocked a lavender suit as she sat beside her big sister during their mom’s hearing. A photo of her at her mom’s confirmation hearings went viral in 2022, per Teen Vogue. The teenager has envisioned this day for a long time now. When she was 11 years old, she wrote a letter to Barack Obama, as per Heavy, requesting that “while you are considering judges to fill Justice Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court, I would like to add my mother Ketanji Brown Jackson of the district court to the list.”
She listed many positive attributes while describing her mom, writing that Ketanji is “determined, honest and never breaks a promise to anyone” and that she can “demonstrate commitment, and is loyal and never brags.” The teenager clearly has a knack for writing. Not only did she write such an articulate letter at just 11 years old but she also won the Parkmount Poetry Contest in 2021 for her poem “Pink Sundress” which you can read here.
The contest also implored about what her dreams for the future included. In wisdom beyond her years, she wrote, “I want to spend my life doing something I love and I want to be as happy as I can, as often as I can.” She also gave a shout-out to her parents as her biggest inspiration. “My parents are my biggest inspiration because of how far they’ve come, how hard they work, and the sacrifices they consistently make for me and our family,” she wrote.
Leila is a student at Harvard University. She revealed that she was interested in both English literature and medicine, but was unsure what to study in a June 2022 interview with Teen Vogue. In that interview, she revealed that she’s excited for her mom and her historic position. “I’m very, very proud of the work she’s done to get here. And I think she’s prepared for it. I think we’re all prepared for it,” she told the magazine.
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