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In the face of a conservative majority in the United States Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has been the voice of the underserved in 2024. Along with Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, her powerful oral and written dissents on rulings that impact the future of reproductive health care, affirmative action, and other important issues have been key in preserving alternative viewpoints and influencing future legislation.
Jackson made history in 2022 when she became the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the land. A Washington, D.C. native, Jackson is the daughter of educators and says her parents always inspired her to pursue her dreams. “My parents just never gave me the option of not doing anything I wanted to do. They instilled in me that kind of grit and determination, so I just kept putting one foot in front of the other,” she told The Root in an exclusive interview. In September 2024, Jackson released her memoir, “Lovely One,” a book she calls a love letter to her parents and other mentors who helped her shatter the glass ceiling.