The First, But Not The Last

Moments worthy of celebration.  Graduating from high school.  Landing that seemingly perfect new job.  An engagement of two souls in love.  The birth of a new baby.  Or perhaps, the purchase of your dream home.  What are a few moments you recall that have gone down in history as the reason the party hats were pulled out of storage and the save the date announcements were sent?  

If you took time to reflect, you would be surprised how long that list would be. 

I'm a true fan of firsts.  There is something about knowing this amazing feat has never been accomplished and it serves as a healthy reminder that just about anything is possible.  I say just because there are limits, however, if you don't try and push yourself you will never know and realize the full potential that is within and just waiting to get out.

Time and energy are as important as peace and purpose.  I vowed to stop watching the news about 7 years ago.  It brought no joy into my life and it was full of much anguish and turmoil.  Doing more harm than good to my mental state and something told me that needed to be protected. I begin to refocus my energy on more important topics, and before I knew it my outlook on life, in general, began to change.  

It goes without saying if you had eyes and ears you couldn't help but notice the hearings of Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.  In what would at times be a very heated exchange, it seemed unfair and unnecessary that her character was on trial in such a probing and unforgiving way.  One of the questions asked, "How does one human being do so much, so extraordinarily well?"  I wanted to put on my cape, jump in to protect her, and shield her character from the unknown, the doubters, the questions, and the evaluations.  I don't have that power just yet, so I closed my eyes tight, and prayed, I hoped and I wished for history to enter the world yet again.  This time in the form of a strong black woman with a message to bring and the background to back it all.   
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​As a woman of color, I applaud the efforts of my mentors, the grueling stares they have endured, the doubts about their abilities, and the questions as to why her?  I question, why not?!

With a career as bright and beautiful as her smile, she is truly one of a kind and worthy of this appointment.  In addition to the numerous awards she has received throughout her career, in 2021, Columbia University's Law School awarded her its 'Constance Baker Motley Award' for empowering women of color, "advancing the rights of people," and demonstrating a "legacy of giving back to the community."  In her acceptance speech, Judge Jackson stated that the responsibility of being a judge means doing the work that is necessary to protect the rule of law and to promote equality and justice for all.  

History is defined as; 1. The study of past events, particularly in human affairs.  2. The whole series of past events connected with someone or something.

Without a doubt, I am certainly empowered by the strength she has displayed through all of this.  Aren't you?  Leaning on others for our inspiration is never a sign of weakness, it is instead giving us an up-close and personal view of the blueprints and facts of life.  We can all learn so much from Judge Brown and it's our duty to spread this knowledge to all of those around us and those who will come after us.  We are the community!
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"She was powerful not because she wasn't scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear." ~Atticus

​In the words of Judge Jackson, "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... In my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court of the United States."

On April 7, 2022, the world celebrated the first African-American woman to serve as a justice of the United States Supreme Court.  The hope that this monumental accomplishment gives to young girls all over the world is the dose of medicine this world so desperately needs.  There is a stigma and dark myth that being female means you are limited to the things you can do.  

Ketanji Brown Jackson, a daughter, a friend, a confident, a mother, a wife, a scholar, and an exemplary class act has set the tone and shown us that she is the first, but not the last.

"Be open to new ideas and experiences because you'll never know when someone else will have an interesting thought or when a new door will open tot take you on the journey of your dreams." -Kentanji Brown Jackson

~AJ