MEDIA RELEASE
CONTACT: Laura Argenbright, Director of Communications
Largenbrig@pa.gov
717-856-5971
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/7/22
PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ISSUES
STATEMENT ON JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON'S CONFIRMATION AS FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
HARRISBURG, PA – Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW, executive director of The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), the state's leading civil rights enforcement agency, issues the following statement on the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court:
"Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is the right nominee, at the right time. The appointment of a black woman is long overdue, but the arc of justice is bending towards increased and sustained diversity at all levels of government and institutions. And it is time," said Lassiter. "Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a brilliant, accomplished and qualified judge who has stood strong and patient against a barrage of intense and at times emotional questioning over the past three days. She has proven by her career achievements, her personal ethics and her education that she is more than ready to serve in the highest court in the U.S. as a Supreme Court Justice."
President Biden nominated Jackson to fill the Supreme Court seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. In 2021, Jackson was nominated by President Biden to fill the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals seat left vacant by Justice Merrick Garland when he became Attorney General. Jackson also served as a district court judge, worked in private practice, and spent time as a public defender. She earned both her law and undergraduate degrees at Harvard University.
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PHRC urges anyone who has experienced acts of discrimination or hate to file a complaint with the PHRC by calling 717-787-4410. Information and resources are also available at www.PHRC.pa.gov. Unconscious Bias and other anti-discrimination trainings are also available at no charge to any group or organization within the Commonwealth. To request information or schedule a training, visit: www.phrc.pa.gov/EducationandOutreach/Pages/Training-and-Events.aspx.