US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joins WABE in Atlanta for memoir book tour

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made history in June 2022, when she was sworn in as the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s high court. Now, the 116th Supreme Court justice is telling her story in her new memoir, “Lovely One.”

Jackson’s book tour recently stopped in Atlanta at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. That’s where “Closer Look” show host Rose Scott and the justice had a one-on-one conversation in front of a live audience. Jackson talked about her book and reflected on her journey from Miami to the Supreme Court. She also reflected on the recent mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the insurrection at the U.S. State Capitol on Jan. 6 and her historic confirmation hearings.

For the first part of the conversation, Jackson discussed her earliest childhood memories, her love for reading and writing and the beginning of her interest in the law. At the age of 11, a story in Essence Magazine about Constance Baker Motley planted the seed for her eventual career as a judge. Judge Motley was the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, and the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court.