By Liliana Stinson ’27 & Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27
Staff Writer | Editor-in-Chief
One of Justice Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson’s earliest memories is sitting at the kitchen table alongside her father, coloring as he studied law. Her relationship with her parents — her father, who inspired her by pursuing a career in law and her mother, who taught her she could “do or be anything [she] wanted” — was just one of the many subjects she and Mount Holyoke College President, Danielle Holley discussed on Oct. 27 at the Springfield Public Forum.
Just a few hours earlier, at approximately 4:30 p.m., two buses full of Mount Holyoke College students departed campus for the event. Due to the limited number of tickets available, the College had held a raffle earlier in the month for those interested in attending. Students who received a seat were informed via email on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Students were seated at about 5:30 p.m. and around 30 minutes after, SGA President Nathania Amadi ’26 formally opened the event by providing an introduction for Jackson. Before Jackson had the opportunity to speak, she received a standing ovation; many attendees stood and cheered as she took the stage.
Jackson began by reading an excerpt from her new memoir, “Lovely One.”As she would later explain, the title is a translation of her name, Ketanji Onyika. “My parents gave me an African name because they always wanted me to know where my people came from,” Jackson stated.
She was born in 1970 — a few years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act — and remarked that there was “so much enthusiasm among African Americans” because “people like my parents who grew up under a system of oppression, under a system that did not give them the opportunity to fully participate in society” had seen the end of Jim Crow-era segregation laws.
African pride has been a driving force for Jackson throughout her life. From a young age, she aspired to be the first Black woman Justice in the U.S. Supreme Court. One of her biggest inspirations as a child was Judge Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to become a federal judge: “I learned about her in middle school, flipping through one of the … magazines that my parents allowed us to have, [like] EBONY or JET … and I just thought, ‘Here’s this woman, who’s not just a lawyer, she’s a judge. I could be a judge.’ And that encouraged me.”
Jackson was also “struck” by the realization that she shares a birthday with Motley; the two were born exactly 49 years apart.
Jackson later cultivated the skills she would use as a lawyer and judge through her public school’s debate team. From 9th-12th grade, she participated in original oratory, where participants write and memorize a speech, performing it several times throughout a school year. Her team travelled to Harvard University three times for debate tournaments, and as a high school senior, she decided to apply there.
In her admission essay, she wrote that she hoped to become the first Black woman justice in the Supreme Court to have performed on Broadway.
In an email interview with Mount Holyoke News, Holley noted that she found Jackson’s drive extremely impressive: “I was struck by Justice Jackson’s singularity of vision. In one of her junior high yearbooks, she said she wanted to be a federal judge. Check! She wrote in her application to Harvard that she wanted to be the first Black woman Supreme Court justice … Check!”
Jackson ultimately received both her bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from Harvard with honors.
Jackson’s skills in communication and performance were put to the test during the confirmation hearing for her Supreme Court appointment. Before a Supreme Court nominee can officially become a justice, they must first undergo a confirmation hearing and obtain the approval of at least 51 members of the Senate. Typically, a nominee has about six weeks to prepare for the hearing. Jackson only had around three. During those few weeks, aides spent “a great deal of time … preparing [her] for the hearing” by conducting what Jackson called “murder boards.”
During the murder boards, aides would pretend to be members of the Senate to simulate a real confirmation hearing. Jackson recalled that once, when she began to get frustrated, an aide stopped the session and reminded her, “You can either get angry, or you can be a Supreme Court Justice.” After that, Jackson was motivated to remain collected, and used her communication skills to stay calm under questioning.
In the weeks before her confirmation hearing she also met with 24 senators, which she described as having been “the absolute best thing I could do.” In private, the senators she met were “lovely” and “terrific,” but during the public confirmation hearing, “they [were] not.” Jackson realized the hearing was a performance — much like the events her high school debate team had participated in — and used her expertise to successfully navigate it, thus securing her appointment in the process.
Jackson’s confirmation hearing took place over the course of four days. She described the second day as having been a “very very stressful, long session” that lasted around ten hours. Near its conclusion, Senator Cory Booker chose to give a speech instead of asking questions, giving Jackson time to rest.
Booker spoke about his pride in her success and their shared heritage: “It's hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my cousins … I see my ancestors and yours … Nobody is gonna steal that joy. You have earned this spot. You are worthy.”
Jackson was moved to tears by Booker’s words. “It was extraordinary,” she said.
Booker wasn’t the only one to uplift Jackson during the confirmation process. She described the support she received from family and friends as also having been a key component of her successful appointment. Her partnership with her husband and his support has been “everything,” Jackson said. “I certainly could not do what I do now without my husband, who has taken care of everything and given me the opportunity to do the work I do.”
Jackson’s friends have also aided her throughout her life and career. “I had the very good fortune of meeting other Black women in a class my freshman year, a Black woman’s literature class, and we supported one another … Four of us became very close, and all four of us got into Harvard law school … We have just been, you know, sisters,” she stated. “We have done life together, and it was amazing to have their help.”
After she had received her nomination to the Supreme Court, Jackson explained, they had organized to do interviews with media outlets in support of her appointment: “They literally, basically set up a war room of their own, and were doing a media campaign on my behalf.”
As an associate justice of the Supreme Court, Jackson has become known for her intricately crafted dissents. During the 2024-25 term, Jackson delivered 25 opinions, 10 of which were in dissent: more than any other single justice. “Dissent is one of the most extraordinary aspects of American legal tradition,” Jackson said. “It embodies something that we value here, in this country, which is freedom of expression.”
Jackson further explained that when she authors a dissent, she writes for both the public and for history. “What tends to happen for me is that I either get assigned a dissent or I think … I have a particular interest or perspective on the issue in this case that I think is important,” she said.
“Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg used to say that when you write a dissent, you are writing for history, not just for the present,” Jackson elaborated. “I also have to write for the present to a certain degree. Writing not just for your colleagues and the parties … but you’re writing for the public, so the people understand what is going on at the Court.”
“Judges are public servants … we have a responsibility to communicate,” she concluded.
Holley echoed this point while speaking to Mount Holyoke News, “Justice Jackson sees herself as writing for history, but just as importantly she’s writing on behalf of American jurisprudence, and on behalf of the people in the present moment whose lives are directly affected by Court decisions.”
However, Jackson is much more than just a dissenter, Holley noted. As the first Black woman justice on the Court, she provides an extremely valuable perspective: “Something Justice Jackson captured so beautifully in her book and spoke eloquently about … was why diversity matters in an institution such as the Supreme Court. In addition to inspiring people of all backgrounds to dream big, a diverse judiciary is able to evaluate a question from the perspectives of different backgrounds and viewpoints.”
Holley continued, “[Jackson] spoke about the justice for whom she clerked, Justice [Stephen] Breyer, who believed pragmatism must play a role in rulings. In other words, context matters. And if that is true, then it is critical that different contexts be considered when making a ruling, which is only possible if the Court is made up of people from different circumstances.”
Jackson’s historic role is also personally important to Holley, a Black woman who has shattered many glass ceilings herself. “Justice Jackson is a true trailblazer, so it was an honor to be able to talk to her about her life and career. We also have a lot in common: our Southern roots, high school speech and debate, a love of the history of the civil rights movement. It was a special night — one I won’t forget any time soon.”
As the event began to come to a close, Jackson and Holley discussed Jackson’s hobbies and interests outside of the law. Since becoming a Supreme Court justice, Jackson has continued to read and write in her free time, scarce as it may be. Currently, Jackson is reading “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking” by Susan Cain. As an introvert who “draws energy from withdrawing,” she finds the book empowering. Now that she’s finished her memoir, “Lovely One,” she also has plans to begin writing children’s literature.
Moreover, Jackson recently fulfilled her dream of appearing on Broadway. Last year, the producers of “And Juliet” read about her goal in her memoir and offered her an ensemble role. “I got to sing … It was a one-night only performance, but I loved it,” Jackson said.
One of Jackon’s favorite aspects of being a Supreme Court justice has been “bringing young people to court … seeing their faces and excitement.” She hopes her success will inspire more young people to pursue careers in law and politics. “I try to encourage them,” Jackson stated. “I hope for them to want to go into law, and to want to make our country better.”
When asked by Holley if she had any advice for students interested in law, Jackson responded, “First I congratulate them … We need you.” She explained that while some think success can only come from innate talent, true progress is made through hard work: “Anything worth doing takes effort. Sometimes, young people mistake talent for effort … When it's hard, when it's difficult … Take pride in [your] ability.”
“You have to keep going,” Jackson said.
Holley hopes if the community takes anything away from the event, it is that advice. “[Justice Jackson] enjoined the young people in the audience…to work hard, to put in the sweat equity. That’s how one turns a seemingly audacious goal into reality.”
Elizabeth Murray ’26 assisted with coverage and contributed fact-checking.