DES MOINES, Iowa — After Vice President Kamla Harris confirmed Judge Kentaji Brown Jackson will be sworn in as the newest justice on the Supreme Court, democrats on the senate floor erupted into applause, as the majority of republicans had left the chamber.
Ashely Stewart of the Iowa state bar knows what it's like to be a first. In 2018 she was the first black women to argue before the Iowa Supreme Court. Stewart wants people to know Jackson meets all the qualifications
"She served on the D.C. district court, she now is a Supreme Court Justice, but she also served on the sentencing commission for the US," Stewart said. "And she was a public defender before that, so there's a lot of things that she's done that make her qualified. She just happens to be an African American woman."
Stewart explained how on a personal level this is empowering for her, and other women of color.
"On a personal level, I have to say, obviously, for me being a black woman, seeing another black woman on the Supreme Court, my daughter being able to see her as she grows up is impactful, but also for our nation," Stewart, said.
Stewart sees this as another step to a more inclusive nation.
"We have a Supreme Court that is starting to make up that look like the fabric of our nation, Stewart said. "We have a Latina woman already on the court. We have a black man on the court, and now we have another African American woman."
With these changes Stewart believes people in the United States will have an easier time putting their trust in the government
"As soon as the court looks like us will have more competence in the court that's changing and making laws for the whole nation," Stewart, said.
Jackson is now a Justice who is waiting to be sworn in to the Supreme Court. She will take her seat on the bench for a few months and is expected to be sworn in June or July.
