Black Chambers endorses Jackson for Supreme Court

The US Black Chambers is endorsing President Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and urging the Senate to quickly confirm her.

The organization, which represents Black-owned businesses across the country, penned a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders highlighting Jackson’s diverse experience in public service, including as a public defender, as reason to support her nomination.

The group also underscored the historic nature of the nomination, voicing the need to have equitable representation on the Supreme Court, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Hill.

“The history making qualities of this nomination are overshadowed only by Judge Jackson’s breadth of experience in our legal system, making her an exceptionally qualified choice for the role of Supreme Court Justice,” Ron Busby, the organization’s president and CEO, wrote in the letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

“This diverse and broad experience in public service imbues Judge Jackson with a unique appreciation of how critical it is for the justice system to be fair and impartial,” he wrote. “Among her colleagues and in her work, Judge Jackson has built a strong reputation for upholding the rule of law with a nonpartisan, inclusive approach to advancing a judicial system that treats all Americans fairly.”

The US Black Chambers says it supports a network of 145 Black Chambers of Commerce and business organizations representing businesses across the country.

The organization adds its name to a growing list of groups and public figures who have voiced support for Jackson’s nomination. Some prominent conservative lawyers have also backed Jackson, who if confirmed would be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Jackson began meeting with Senate leaders and members of both parties last week ahead of the confirmation process. Jackson’s confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee are slated to begin the week of March 21.

It’s unclear yet whether she will garner Republican support. Three Republicans – Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Susan Collins (Maine) – voted to confirm Jackson to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit when Biden nominated her last year.

Some Republican groups have sought to paint Jackson as a favorite of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.