NEW YORK (AP) — In a notable early appearance to promote her memoir “Lovely One,” Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson didn’t make major headlines but did make some history. She can now join the ranks of legendary performers like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson as someone who has graced the stage of the Apollo Theater.
On Tuesday night, during a conversation with interviewer Gayle King, Jackson shared her passion for musical theater. She joyfully sang a few lines from “The Wiz” — “When I think of home, I think of a place/Where there’s love overflowing” — and also entertained the crowd with a favorite chant from “Schoolhouse Rock” — “I’m just a bill, yes I’m only a bill. And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.” The audience, packed into the famous Harlem venue, cheered and even joined in her singing.
King made sure to focus on Jackson’s personal story rather than legal matters. Jackson opened up about her upbringing in Miami, the significance of her name (which means “lovely one,” after her book), her time at Harvard University, her mixed-race marriage to Dr. Patrick Jackson — who was present in the audience — and her journey through the judicial system, culminating in her historic appointment as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court in 2022. She vividly recalled receiving the call from President Joe Biden about the nomination, describing it as “a roaring ocean” in her ears.
Jackson reflected on her childhood aspirations, recalling how she would sit at the dining room table coloring while her father, Johnny Brown, studied law books. Her dream of becoming a judge intensified in middle school when she learned about Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to serve on the federal judiciary.
“I remember this connection with this incredible woman,” Jackson told King. “I thought, ‘Why stop at law? I could be a federal judge.’”
Jackson’s memoir spans 405 pages, weaving together her family history, legal experiences, and personal anecdotes. It chronicles her extraordinary journey as a Black woman who rose to the highest court in a nation that upheld segregation until well into the 20th century. “Lovely One” serves not only as her story but also as a guide, described by Jackson in the preface as “a testament for young women, people of color, and those who aspire to achieve great things, especially those with big dreams and faith in the possibility of realizing them.”
During her confirmation hearings, Jackson faced tough questions from Republican senators and now finds herself on one of the most conservative and contentious courts in U.S. history, where she has cast dissenting votes on significant rulings, such as those granting partial legal immunity to former presidents. Despite the challenges, she kept the details of her experiences in the hearings to herself, even when King pressed her for names of justices she had disagreed with, saying with a laugh, “I’m not going to answer that question.”
When asked about relations among justices, Jackson shared that there are chances for them to have lunch together. She mentioned how she maintained her composure during the confirmation hearings, thanks to her thorough preparation, her determination, and support from the White House that helped her anticipate potential questions. One aide advised her to choose her response to adversity: “You can get angry or you can be a Supreme Court justice.” She also embraced another suggestion to meet with senators before the hearings.
“They were all lovely. In person, they were courteous and respectful,” she said of her encounters with the senators. “It really helped during the hearings because we had conversations, so while they were speaking, I thought, ‘Oh, I realize you’re not actually speaking to me’ — it clicked in my head because we had talked. ‘You must be addressing your constituents or someone else.’”
