Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is endorsing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as President Joe Biden's pick for the Supreme Court, becoming one of the first high-profile Black civil rights advocate to throw his support behind Jackson.
"President Biden and Vice President Harris have pledged, and appear to be considering, an African American woman for the Supreme Court," Crump wrote in an op-ed published by The Hill on Wednesday. "In my view, that of a civil rights lawyer and advocate who is committed to bringing justice, respect, and fairness to this nation, and particularly to my community, that woman is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson."
Multiple outlets have reported that Biden has met with three potential nominees, including Jackson, as the president narrows his search for the first Black female justice in U.S. history to replace Justice Stephen Breyer upon retirement. The other two judges being considered are Leondra Kruger and J. Michelle Childs.
Biden's final decision is expected to come by the end of the month.
Crump's endorsement is notable at a time when most of the leaders in the Black community have remained neutral on who Biden should pick, but his support come in contrast to that of another Biden ally, South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, who has lobbied for Childs to clinch the nomination.
On Wednesday, Crump—who is well-known for representing the families of Black Americans whose deaths have renewed calls for police reform and racial justice, including George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery among others—called Jackson "the most experienced judge to be considered in recent memory."
"There will be no learning curve for Jackson; she knows the law, has adjudicated it well and is battle-tested," Crump said. "Jackson has the educational credentials and commitment which put her in an elite with which the court is familiar, having the same credentials as most of the modern justices, if not more."
Jackson, who has been a District Court and Circuit Court judge for nine years, hails from Miami and is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School.
"We African Americans eagerly await and demand that model: a talented African American woman who not only acts justly and upholds our Constitution but is rooted in an experience that so many of us share," Crump wrote in his op-ed. "That person is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Being from Florida, I've known of and admired her personal story for a decade."
Jackson's parents, who both graduated from historically Black colleges and universities, were both employed by Miami-Dade Public Schools, where she graduated as well. Her father was the chief attorney of the school board and her mother a school principal in the district.
"Jackson has always been an achiever, from national debate championships in high school to elite campuses to prestigious jobs, serving as a public defender and clerking for the Supreme Court itself for Justice Breyer, whom I'm hoping she replaces," he added. "But through it all, she's been an advocate for and proud of the African American community."
Uncommon Knowledge
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About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
