Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court. She is the third Black Supreme Court justice after Thurgood Marshall in 1967 and her Supreme Court colleague Clarence Thomas in 1991. She is now the sixth woman ever to be on the nation’s highest court.
Jackson’s confirmation is the latest in a continued shift in the demographics and attributes of federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.
The courts have historically been white and male. Although the courts have slowly become more diverse, about 71% of all current federal judges are white, non-Hispanics. By comparison white, non-Hispanics are about 58% of the US population.
The first woman named to a federal judge's seat was Kathryn Sellers, appointed in 1918; the first non-white and first Black federal judge was William Hastie, appointed in 1949. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to hold a Supreme Court seat, appointed in 1981.
Women make up 35% of current active federal judges and 13% of the federal judges ever seated.
Of all federal judges appointed before 1990, 97% were men and 96% were white. For federal judges appointed from 1990 to today, 70% were male and 76% were white.
Black women are currently about 9% of all sitting federal judges. The first Black woman named to a federal judge’s seat was Constance Baker Motley, appointed in 1966. Motley served in the federal judiciary until her death on September 28, 2005. In her nomination speech, Jackson thanked Motley for paving the way for someone like Jackson to reach the Supreme Court. Jackson and Motley were born on the same day, 49 years apart.
At age 51, Jackson was confirmed at below the median age of 53 for a Supreme Court justice. Four of the current Supreme Court justices — Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Elena Kagan — were younger than the median confirmation age when they were added to the court.
A seat on the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. The median time served on the court since 1789 is about 16 years. But for justices appointed since 1950, the median is about 18 years, even when including the current justices.
Since 1789, 60% of all Supreme Court seat openings have occurred due to a justice’s death. Jackson was nominated to fill the seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
While federal judgeships are themselves nonpartisan, presidents nominate the candidates. Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, there have been 116 successful nominations made to the court. Fifty-seven were made by Republican presidents and 41 by Democrats. The current Supreme Court has six justices nominated by Republicans and three by Democrats.
When including other federal courts — the district courts, courts of appeals, and the Court of International Trade — there are currently 1,405 sitting federal judges. About 46.1% were appointed by Democratic presidents and 54% by Republicans.
Keep up with the latest data and most popular content.
Ketanji Brown Jackson ni mwanamke mweusi wa kwanza kuthibitishwa katika Mahakama Kuu. Yeye ni wa tatu mweusi Mahakama Kuu ya Mahakama baada ya Thurgood Marshall katika 1967 na mwenzake Mahakama Kuu Clarence Thomas katika 1991. Sasa yeye ni mwanamke wa sita kuwahi kuwa katika mahakama ya juu zaidi ya taifa. Uhakikisho wa Jackson ni wa hivi karibuni katika mabadiliko ya kuendelea katika idadi ya watu na sifa za majaji wa shirikisho, pamoja na majaji wa Mahakama Kuu. Mahakama kwa kihistoria zimekuwa nyeupe na za kiume. Ingawa mahakama zimekuwa tofauti polepole, karibu 71% ya majaji wote wa sasa wa shirikisho ni weupe, wasio Wahispania. Kwa kulinganisha, wazungu, wasio Wahispania ni karibu 58% ya idadi ya watu wa Marekani. Mwanamke wa kwanza kupewa kiti cha jaji wa shirikisho alikuwa Kathryn Sellers, aliyechaguliwa mwaka 1918; na hakimu wa kwanza wa shirikisho ambaye hakuwa mweupe na mweusi alikuwa William Hastie, aliyechaguliwa mwaka 1949. Sandra Day O'Connor alikuwa mwanamke wa kwanza kuwa na kiti cha Mahakama Kuu ya Marekani mwaka 1981. Wanawake wanawakilisha asilimia 35 ya majaji wa shirikisho wa sasa na asilimia 13 ya majaji wa shirikisho waliowahi kukaa. Katika mahakimu wote walioteuliwa kabla ya mwaka 1990, asilimia 97 walikuwa wanaume na asilimia 96 walikuwa wazungu. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, kati ya majaji wa serikali ya Marekani walioteuliwa kuanzia mwaka 1990 hadi leo, asilimia 70 walikuwa wanaume na asilimia 76 walikuwa wazungu. Wanawake weusi wanawakilisha asilimia 9 ya mahakimu wa serikali. Mwanamke mweusi wa kwanza kupewa nafasi ya kuwa hakimu wa serikali ya Marekani alikuwa Constance Baker Motley, aliyechaguliwa mwaka 1966. Motley alitumikia katika mahakama ya shirikisho hadi kifo chake Septemba 28, 2005. Katika hotuba yake ya uteuzi, Jackson alishukuru Motley kwa kufungua njia kwa mtu kama Jackson kufikia Mahakama Kuu. Jackson na Motley walizaliwa siku moja, tofauti ya miaka 49. Jackson alikuwa na umri wa miaka 51 na alikuwa na umri wa miaka 53 kwa kuwa hakimu wa Mahakama Kuu ya Marekani. Wanne kati ya majaji wa sasa wa Mahakama Kuu - Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, na Elena Kagan - walikuwa wadogo kuliko umri wa wastani wa uthibitisho walipoongezwa mahakamani. Kiti katika Mahakama Kuu ni uteuzi wa maisha. Wakati wa kati wa kutumikia mahakamani tangu 1789 ni miaka 16. Lakini kwa mahakimu walioteuliwa tangu mwaka 1950, wastani wa miaka ni 18 hata ikiwa ni pamoja na mahakimu wa sasa. Tangu mwaka 1789 asilimia 60 ya viti vyote vilivyofunguliwa katika Mahakama Kuu ya Marekani vimefunguliwa kwa sababu ya kifo cha hakimu. Jackson aliteuliwa kujaza kiti cha Jaji Stephen Breyer anayestaafu. Ingawa mahakimu wa shirikisho wenyewe si wa chama chochote, marais huteua wagombea. Tangu kuanzishwa kwa Mahakama Kuu ya Marekani mwaka 1789 hadi sasa, watu 116 wamechaguliwa kuwa waamuzi wa mahakama hiyo. Katika uchaguzi huo, 57 walikuwa wa chama cha Republican na 41 walikuwa wa chama cha Democrat. Mahakama Kuu ya sasa ina mahakimu sita walioteuliwa na Republican na watatu na Wanademokrasia. Mahakama za jimbo, mahakama za rufaa, na Mahakama ya Biashara ya Kimataifa zina majaji 1,405 wa shirikisho. Asilimia 46 ya wagombea waliochaguliwa na chama cha Democratic na asilimia 54 waliochaguliwa na chama cha Republican. Kuendelea na data ya hivi karibuni na maudhui maarufu zaidi.