Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Was Every Black Woman
And it was deeply painful
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Update: Since I wrote this article Judge Jackson has been CONFIRMED!
Hello friends,
I couldn’t bear to watch the US Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. I knew in advance it would be painful, and I chose not to subject myself to that pain.
This historic nomination and the confirmation hearings should have been a time of joy for Black people, but many of us knew that it wouldn’t be. After all, Judge Jackson would be questioned by some of the same people that were ok with trying to undermine the electoral process.
Some white men are particularly triggered by excellent Black women. (News flash: we’re triggered by their caucasity, too.) Many Black women have been in Judge Jackson’s position, where misogynoir is on full display, and they have been questioned by mediocre and racist white men. There’s been a lot of that about during the process. Not surprising, but still painful to see.
I’ve talked before about the need for Black excellence - anything less won’t get you through the door and your worth will STILL be questioned. I know a bunch of exceptional Black women, and all of them - all of us - have had the experience of having our education and competence doubted even in the face of overwhelming evidence that we are expert and credentialed. Judge Jackson is one of the most qualified Supreme Court nominees EVER and she still faced a level of scrutiny that less able nominees (they’re not fit to be her peers) didn’t have to undergo.
A Triggering Experience
So no, I couldn’t bear to watch, and I wasn’t the only one. As Dr. Nicki Washington tweeted: “It's telling that so many Black folks refuse to watch these confirmation hearings. It's triggering for us all to watch an overqualified Black woman be subjected to the tantrums of mediocre, underqualified white men who work overtime to ensure she doesn't get a position she earned”
Those who WERE brave enough to watch were taken back to times in their lives where they’d experienced similar disrespect and unwarranted scrutiny. I’m going to share some of the takes that stood out to me:
Lisa Hurley pointed out that we Black women have all been “Forced to pause, take a breath, and swallow our instinctive response, because we know if we “go Kavanaugh,” we’ll be dismissed as emotional, out of control, and angry; and we might not get to keep/land our job.”
Ifeyinwa Walker said: “While I respect and admire Judge Jackson, I have not found the joy or elation I would have hoped to experience. For what joy is there in a brutal movie where you know all the actors. And all the lines?”
Some Black men couldn’t watch either, as Pharoah Bolding pointed out: “The anti-Black rhetoric, the abrasiveness, the pushiness coming out of these white politicians' mouths as she maintains herself and doesn't crumble under their hatred is a window into what Black women face just trying to exist in this world every day. And this is why I can't watch these events in real-time.”
And Dana Brownlee had this to say about Judge Jackson’s response to Ted Cruz’s questioning: “As she took a breath to respond, one sensed every Black woman who has also been on the receiving end of a random/out of context, offensive, ridiculous, disrespectful question sending subliminal support. Her response was not just the epitome of grace and restraint but arguably the result of many, many years of practice deflecting disrespectful comments, suppressing visceral emotions and choosing self-control.”
Allyship in Action
There was just one moment of joy in the whole process: Sen. Cory Booker proving that allyship is a verb, and something best done out loud and in public.
Now that the hearings are over, I hope we’re about to move to the part where Judge Jackson gets to sit on the Supreme Court bench, but you can’t take anything for granted, especially with the anti-Black racism that’s been on full display from the time her nomination was announced.
Folx, the confirmation hearings prove we still have a LOT of work to do, though again, that’s not news. If we’re going to undermine systemic racism, we have to get to a point where it is no longer ok for the descendants of massa to wield verbal whips on Black women. It’s just not right.
Thanks for reading my perspective,
Sharon
Image credit: Getty images: Catherine McQueen
© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2022. All Rights Reserved.
I am an anti-racism writer, a professional B2B writer and blogger, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast. If you value my perspective, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
I knew I should've never listened to these hearings. On day one, she was counting off a slew of family members and I was bored at first. I just wanted to know her opinions on newsier topics. Good lord, once Ted Cruz got ahold of her, I wanted her to go back to counting off debate teachers and sister-in-laws. I listened to him on my way to the bank. I got out of the car while he was still drilling her about child sex predators and went into the bank, only for this bank business lady to give me the HARDEST time for the simplest tasks and have an attitude about it. I met her energy completely, and I probably exceeded it because I was still irritated by this questionnaire. She had his same condescending attitude, and I just was not having it. I may have been able to shrug it off any other day, but she got it, then the Assistant Vice President got it and I went all the way up to the Branch Store Manager. I got the request I wanted accomplished, but it just felt like I had to jump through all kinds of hoops to get there. Unfortunately for Judge Brown, she had to just sit there and bare all that b.s. GOP would've tapped my shoulder to exit the building five minutes into questioning. I wish her the best.
Thank you Sharon for this post.
They knew this was a historical moment for the Black community and they did everything they could to diminish it and let their freak racism flags fly.
I posted this before and will continue to post: that pause was an Ancestral Pause. The Black community have born witness to that Ancestral Pause from our mothers, grandmas, for some, their great-grandmas and Auntie and them.
Goodness gracious! When I saw the look on her face and that Ancestral Pause, I felt that deeply I'm my DNA.
What was supposed to be a moment of joy and celebration, is now marred with the insidious vehemence of racism. Cory Booker's statement was a much needed salvo to help mitigate the harm and the trauma of having to endure all of that.
The trope of not wanting to be ascribed as being 'a angry Black woman,' is a tactical tool that they use to continue silencing our voices. It needs to be done away with.
I for one, would have thrown all caution to the wind and wouldn't care if they think I'm an 'angry Black woman.' I have every right to the angry. Actually, I'm not angry, I'm outraged.
However, I'm not being nominated for the Supreme Court. 🤷🏾♀️
I pray that she has mental and emotional wellbeing support. Because, unfortunately, these hearings are just the beginning...🙏🏾🙏🏾