Ketanji Brown Jackson Is The First Black Woman Nominated To The Supreme Court

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Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court fulfills a promise President Biden made while running for office: to nominate the first Black woman for the highest court. Critics said he was prioritizing identity over qualifications, but many have praised Jackson for being well equipped for what could be a historic appointment.

Tomiko Brown-Nagin, dean of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, wrote a book about the first Black woman to ever become a federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. She explains how that, and much more, paved the way for this nomination.

And NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg reports on Jackson's career and her path to the president's top pick.

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This episode was produced by Lee Hale and Jason Fuller. It was edited by Fatma Tanis. Additional reporting Sandhya Dirks. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.