One Of These Black Women Might Be Appointed To The U.S. Supreme Court And Make History
It looks like President Joe Biden is keeping his promise to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. During his 2020 campaign, Biden vowed to name a Black woman to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court and now the opportunity has come. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer officially announced his retirement on Thursday leaving the president to fill the seat.
While a decision has not been made yet, there is a supposed shortlist featuring Black women that are being considered to succeed Justice Breyer.
Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and Judge J. Michelle Childs are said to be the frontrunners for the seat on the nation’s highest court.
Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was on former President Obama’s shortlist in 2016. After being confirmed to an appellate court, Jackson was the first Black woman to do so in a decade. As a Harvard Law graduate, she has worked as a public defender and clerked on the Supreme Court for judges, similarly to the recently-retired Breyer.
During her eight and a half years on D.C.’s U.S. District Court, Jackson has advocated for people who have been taken advantage of by persons in power. An example is the AFGE, AFL-CIO v. Trump, case where she overturned three of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders that limited federal workers' rights to engage with union representatives.
California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger
California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger graduated from Yale Law and was the editor of the Yale Law Journal, making her the first Black woman to hold that title. She continued making history as she also became one of the youngest people to ever be nominated to California's Supreme Court. Not to mention, when working with the U.S. Justice Department, she argued 12 cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Many people who have worked with Kruger said that she is very thoughtful and cautious with making decisions. If selected, she will not only be the first Black woman to serve on the court, she will also be the youngest confirmed justice since Clarence Thomas in 1991.
Judge J. Michelle Childs
Last month, Biden nominated Judge J. Michelle Childs to serve on the D.C. Circuit after serving as the U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina and now she may potentially make it to the Supreme Court. Childs' educational background is a little different than Kruger’s and Jackson’s as she didn’t attend Ivy League schools.
Born in Detriot and raised in South Carolina, Childs attended the University of South Carolina’s Law School and got her Masters of Law in Judicial Studies at Duke University. During her time as a District Court Judge, she ruled in favor of two women who were suing the state of South Carolina to have their marriage be recognized, which was a landmark decision on marriage equality.
If nominated, because of their ages, Kruger, 45, Jackson, 51, and Childs 55, will serve on the Supreme Court for decades.
There are only nine seats on the U.S. Supreme Court and there has never been a Black woman on it. This means that one of the aforementioned women can make history and be a changemaker in decisions such as the Roe v. Wade landmark Supreme Court case that is currently being challenged and could potentially be overturned.
Having Black female representation on the high court is not only a visual image of Black girl magic, but it can also influence politics in a positive way.
Supreme Court case decisions have historically changed the landscape of America and having a Black woman as one of the faces behind the bench is important to the future of Black women’s rights in this country.
Biden is expected to announce his decision before February.
Featured image by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images
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How Content Creators Hey Fran Hey And Shameless Maya Embraced The Pivot
This article is in partnership with Meta Elevate.
If you’ve been on the internet at all within the past decade, chances are the names Hey Fran Hey and Shameless Maya (aka Maya Washington) have come across your screen. These content creators have touched every platform on the web, spreading joy to help women everywhere live their best lives. From Fran’s healing natural remedies to Maya’s words of wisdom, both of these content creators have built a loyal following by sharing honest, useful, and vulnerable content. But in search of a life that lends to more creativity, freedom, and space, these digital mavens have moved from their bustling big cities (New York City and Los Angeles respectively) to more remote locations, taking their popular digital brands with them.
Content Creators Hey Fran Hey and Maya Washington Talk "Embracing The Pivot"www.youtube.com
In partnership with Meta Elevate — an online learning platform that provides Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-owned businesses access to 1:1 mentoring, digital skills training, and community — xoNecole teamed up with Franscheska Medina and Maya Washington on IG live recently for a candid conversation about how they’ve embraced the pivot by changing their surroundings to ultimately bring out the best in themselves and their work. Fran, a New York City native, moved from the Big Apple to Portland, Oregon a year ago. Feeling overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of city life, Fran headed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a more easeful life.
Her cross-country move is the backdrop for her new campaign with Meta Elevate— a perfectly-timed commercial that shows how you can level up from wherever you land with the support of free resources like Meta Elevate. Similarly, Maya packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Sweden, where she now resides with her husband and adorable daughter. Maya’s life is much more rural and farm-like than it had been in California, but she is thriving in this peaceful new setting while finding her groove as a new mom.
While Maya is steadily building and growing her digital brand as a self-proclaimed “mom coming out of early retirement,” Fran is redefining her own professional grind. “It’s been a year since I moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon,” says Fran. “I think the season I’m in is figuring out how to stay successful while also slowing down.” A slower-paced life has unlocked so many creative possibilities and opportunities for these ladies, and our conversation with them is a well-needed reminder that your success is not tied to your location…especially with the internet at your fingertips. Tapping into a community like Meta Elevate can help Black, Hispanic, and Latinx entrepreneurs and content creators stay connected to like minds and educated on new digital skills and tools that can help scale their businesses.
During a beautiful moment in the conversation, Fran gives Maya her flowers for being an innovator in the digital space. Back when “influencing” was in its infancy and creators were just trying to find their way, Fran says Maya was way ahead of her time. “I give Maya credit for being one of the pioneers in the digital space,” Fran said. “Maya is a one-person machine, and I always tell her she really changed the game on what ads, campaigns, and videos, in general, should look like.”
When asked what advice she’d give content creators, Maya says the key is having faith even when you don’t see the results just yet. “It’s so easy to look at what is, despite you pouring your heart into this thing that may not be giving you the returns that you thought,” she says. “Still operate from a place of love and authenticity. Have faith and do the work. A lot of people are positive thinkers, but that’s the thinking part. You also have to put your faith into work and do the work.”
Fran ultimately encourages content creators and budding entrepreneurs to take full advantage of Meta Elevate’s vast offerings to educate themselves on how to build and grow their businesses online. “It took me ten years to get to the point where I’m making ads at this level,” she says. “I didn’t have those resources in 2010. I love the partnership with Meta Elevate because they’re providing these resources for free. I just think of the people that wouldn’t be able to afford that education and information otherwise. So to amplify a company like this just feels right.”
Watch the full conversation with the link above, and join the Meta Elevate community to connect with fellow businesses and creatives that are #OnTheRiseTogether.
Featured image courtesy of Shameless Maya and Hey Fran Hey
Tracee Ellis Ross Reflects On How Her Mother, Diana Ross, Fearlessness In Music Impacted Her Career
Like mother, like daughter.
Over the years, many have viewed the close dynamic between Tracee Ellis Ross and her mother, Diana Ross, through the pair's occasional social media posts about one another and their red-carpet appearances.
Although Tracee would go on to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry as an actress, entrepreneur, and host "I America" podcast, the 50-year-old disclosed that the biggest inspiration behind her successful career, stemmed from watching her mother, a well-renowned singer and actress, be resilient through challenging situations and continuously spreading love.
Tracee On Her Mother And the Struggles She Could Have Faced Being an Entertainer in the 1960s
During a recent interview on Larry Wilmore's "Black on the Air" podcast, Tracee revealed on mark 56:25 that she often asked her mother what prompted the 79-year-old to dress and style her hair a certain way, especially during the time she grew up in.
Diana was a lead vocalist in the singing group The Supremes in the 1960s and would ultimately go solo in 1970. During her solo career, Diana's fashion choices and big natural hair would often make headlines because, at the time, it didn't fit the social standards of beauty.
"As a person and as a singular talent, and you think of the time period when she came forward, sometimes I ask her questions, she doesn't even have an answer, like 'what makes you think you can wear your hair like that?'" Tracee said while acknowledging that her mother's choices possibly helped redefine the beauty standards. "Do you know what I mean? Like if you just think of some of the small decisions and you think of the years."
Further in the conversation, Tracee mentioned that her respect for her mother deepened when an individual posted a black-and-white image of Diana performing with The Supremes. The reason for the appreciation was that the black-ish star saw the women performing in front of an all-white crowd. This made Tracee think about the possible things they could have gone through, mainly racism, during that moment and how her mother remained a loving person despite the hardships.
"One time [on] Instagram, someone posted a picture of my mom and The Supremes performing. I've seen the picture before. I had never looked in the audience. It was an all-white audience, and all I kept thinking was it was a black-and-white picture. They didn't come in from the front door... I was thinking [about] all these things and what she had to be resilient through, resistant to, and what was in the environment when she was coming up. What that makes somebody, that my mom is so anchored in love that she's just a loving person," she stated.
Tracee On How Diana's Unconditional Love for Herself and Others Inspired Her Own Career
Also, in the interview, Tracee talked about how motivational it is to see her mother spread love to others through her performances while staying true to herself and her craft.
"I think the biggest thing for me is my mom has also been this woman who has used this platform of the stage to spread love but also not to say look at me, but this is me. Which is very different than a lot of what I see now," Tracee shared.
Tracee continued by adding that growing up with that type of foundation helped shape her career decades later because she saw firsthand, through Diana's determination and honoring herself, the positive effects it can have on one's life.
The Girlfriends star said, "That sense of agency and sense of self, selfhood has made its way into my life, my career, and the fact my mom is such a great businesswoman. It is quite a legacy."
Tracee's "I Am America" podcast can now be viewed or listened to on any streaming platform suitable for podcasts.
Feature image by Kevin Mazur/VF19/WireImage
