The past few years have been epic in terms of Black women being recognized for their work, brilliance and contributions to society.
We’ve seen several firsts. Former Sen. Kamala Harris is the first Indian and Black American woman to serve as vice president. Clarice Phelps is a nuclear chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is the first Black woman to help in the discovery of a periodic element, Tennessine. Jessica Watkins is the first Black woman to live on the International Space Station.
Marilyn Mosby, Kim Foxx, Kim Gardner, Aramis Ayala—they each broke barriers to become the first Black women elected as state’s attorney in their regions. Yet, all have experienced harassment, retaliation and verbal abuse associated with those positions.
And then there is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who became the first Black woman to be nominated and confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. She is a sight to behold. With experience that is unrivaled, Brown Jackson is among the most accomplished jurists on the bench. She represents everything beautiful about Black women—complexity that is difficult to fully understand, determination honed through the struggle and intellectual capacity that is as rare as a diamond. She represents the rich legacy of a group that has long been dehumanized.
And yet, I wonder what it takes to be her.
Throughout the confirmation hearings, Black women across the country were exhilarated at the prospect of having someone intimately familiar with their experience be considered for a seat on the high court. As Brown Jackson dealt with microaggressions and verbal lashings from white conservative legislators, many of us were triggered, calling to memory the times we’ve experienced slights, hostility and outright abuse for nothing more than our gender and race. We were reminded, once again, that it can be difficult to live in a Black, female body in a world that is often hostile to both.