Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, celebrated the historic moment with United States President Joe Biden's "huge" party despite COVID-19 infections among his inner circle.
Jackson spoke at the White House on Friday after her confirmation to the country's highest court, saying that the results give her the honor of her lifetime. She added that she understood what it meant to many young Black women and girls who followed her journey through the government's confirmation process.
Jackson's Historic Supreme Court Confirmation
The judge told the crowd who gathered on the South Lawn that her family took one generation from enduring segregation to putting a woman on the Supreme Court. However, she noted that it had taken much longer for the country to do the same.
In her remarks, Jackson said, "It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we've made it. We've made it. All of us," as per the New York Times.
President Biden called the historic moment a time of "real change in American history" as he basked in a moment that has energized his party's base. The celebrations also included Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first woman to hold the position in the history of the country, and said that Jackson would "inspire generations of leaders."
Jackson said she would be dedicating her career to public service because of her love for the United States and the Constitution and the rights that make Americans free. The attendees of the celebratory event included Democrats, civil rights leaders, and White House officials.
According to USA Today, the judge said that she had spent the last decade writing hundreds of opinions on thousands of cases where she says she has done her best to "stay in my lane and to reach a result that is consistent with my understanding of the law and with the obligation to rule independently without fear or favor."
Huge Party Amid COVID-19 Spread
White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the party "huge" and continued celebrating despite the fact that Biden has previously criticized former United States President Donald Trump for hosting "super-spreaders." The remarks referenced a much smaller 2020 Rose Garden event that was held for then-Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Attendees of the event say shoulder-to-shoulder in lawn chairs without caring about social distancing amid the spread of the virus among D.C.'s elite. Psaki said that they conducted the historic event outside and not inside of a building or confined space. She noted this was partly to ensure that they could have a huge number of people on the South Lawn celebrating.
However, Psaki acknowledged it was entirely possible for 79-year-old Biden to test positive for the coronavirus in the following days. She said that despite the president being vaccinated and being double boosted, similar to many people in the White House and many people in the press corps, he was still vulnerable to the infection, the New York Post reported.
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