When You Make a Bold Commitment…
By Rachael Drew-Kinuthia
President Joe Biden committed to nominating the nation’s first Black female Supreme Court justice. A bold commitment indeed, as one only has to turn on the television or log into their social media to see the backlash to what the promise is. The nomination hasn’t even taken place yet and many are promising to fight against it. He honored retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer at the White House on Thursday and across the country Republicans were positioning themselves to launch attacks on whomever he nominated. It will be quite a nomination process when the time comes. As it stands, names on the list include: DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, South Carolina US District Judge J. Michelle Childs, North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls, Minnesota US District Judge Wilhelmina “Mimi” Wright, Circuit Judge Eunice Lee, Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi and Sherrilyn Ifill.
Each of these women are highly qualified as we expected he would look for. Biden has to nominate someone who can safely get fifty votes in the Senate, as Democrats currently hold only the most narrow of majorities in the chamber. The President hopes a swift process will lead to a confirmed justice by spring. He said on Thursday, “The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court.”
This provided a jolt of optimism on Thursday that the pick would rally key elements of the Democratic party’s base—Progressives and Black voters. Biden went on to acknowledge, “It’s long overdue in my view. I made that commitment during the campaign for president, and I will keep that commitment.”
Others feel this bold commitment could rally support and reverse apathy since voting rights, police reform, and safety net programs have been stalled by Congress. “We think this is going to be a huge opportunity for the Biden administration to really solidify Black support going into the midterms,’’ said Quentin James, a founder of The Collective PAC, which supports Black candidates. This is why representation matters. There are Black women out there that will never get recognition professionally due to stereotypes and preconceived ideas regarding them not being qualified for leadership.
Biden has the opportunity to be a part of changing the narratives around stereotypes in our country regarding the Black community, one page at a time and one conversation at a time. With his choice and commitment to see it through, President Biden sends Black voters a powerful message. As Quentin James put it, he’s saying, “I’m still fighting for you to solve issues of discrimination and racism in this country.” That matters. We know he faces obstructionists. We already witnessed them during President Obama’s administration, but we need to see the bold steps to implement changes and bring progress to our nation.
This is not all that a Black voter will want or need, but it’s a start to something greater. Democratic strategist Karen Finney said over a year ago, “Black women are sick and tired of being considered the backbone of the Democratic Party. We want to be recognized as leaders. We want all the things that we’re due.”
Does our country tell us that Black women are not qualified for leadership? Do we see all kinds of preconceived ideas attached to them? Angry, aggressive, bad tempered perhaps? Look at the misperceptions towards Michelle Obama and our current Vice-President Kamala Harris. This could be a perfect time to reevaluate your own support of Black women. A time of recommitment to uplifting them when you see the opportunity.
When was the last time you supported a Black woman’s leadership? What formal or informal mentorship opportunities does your company offer? What are the ways that you could utilize your knowledge and expertise to uplift a Black woman within your company? These are all important questions that each person could ask themselves. When stereotyping goes unchecked, this gives the perception that this behavior is acceptable. The responsibility of deconstructing racism and sexism belongs to each of us as citizens of this great nation.
There are many Black women who have “done all the things America told us we needed to do to succeed,” as Veteran strategist Minyon Moore said during the process to select Biden’s vice president. “Why not write us into history?” By seriously considering qualified Black women, Biden is attempting to do this. Could you use your own voice to amplify the voices of Black women? Learning more about how you could be contributing to the solutions, speaking out against labeling and stereotyping, and supporting qualified Black women as they lead, are all methods that we can utilize to foster a more inclusive environment. Let’s be sure to make our own bold commitment.
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