The answer is…
Ketanji Brown Jackson!
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
On April 7th, 2022 Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the Senate as our Nation’s next Supreme Court Justice. She was nominated by President Joe Biden following the retirement of Justice Stephen G. Bryer whom she worked for in her early years as a lawyer. She is the first Black woman and third Black American to join the court. Every Black person who has been sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice have been or are American Born Descendants of Enslaved Africans. She has cited many other Black Women in the field as her inspiration including Shirley Chisholm.
In 1972 Shirley Chihsolm broke both gender and race barriers to become the first woman of any race to run for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and the first Black person to run for a major party’s nomination. While she did not win she went on to serve in congress for 14 years representing New York’s 12th congressional district. She was the first African American Woman in congress.
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Learning Connections
In elementary school children begin to understand rules and structure outside of their home. First this begins in the classroom with the rules and agreements in the classroom but eventually it branches off to the rules and agreements in our community and society or laws. The three branches of government: judicial, legislative and executive work together to make our society run just as rules in the classroom help a class run. An understanding of how the supreme court works and its role in laws and agreements in our country guide children in evidence based decision making, fairness and justice.
The supreme court has been a pillar of our governmental system since the constitution was written but as the country has changed so has the court. Historical context for change is important for children to understand and connections to the past help children understand their present and future. With critical thinking skills based in history and fact, children can understand cultures other than their own and begin to bridge differences between themselves and their peers by providing common ground for connections. Positive representations of different cultures help young children build themselves into global citizens who can actively engage and interact with the world.
Extra Resources
For Adults
Read this article to learn more about Black History as American History
This article explains Social Emotional Learning
Use this article to explore how Social Studies and Social Emotional Learning are connected.
You can listen to the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the importance of the museum and why the term “African American” was chosen for its title.
For Children
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