OPINION
HOW FAR WE’VE COME Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Historic Confirmation by Grant Barnes ‘23
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It has taken 232 years and
115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we’ve made it. We’ve made it, all of us. All of us.” – Ketanji Brown Jackson. English scientist Sir Isacc Newton famously wrote in a letter: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Newly confirmed associate justice-designate of the Supreme Court of the United States, Kentanji Brown Jackson recognized the shoulders on which she stood. Historic trail blazers such as Dr. Matin Luther King Jr, Justice Thurgood Marshall, Justice Ruth Bater Ginsburg among others paved the way for her to have a seat on the highest court in the U.S. With the announced retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, President Joe Biden was tasked with nominating a new justice to the Supreme Court.
Successfully completing hours of questioning about her work and life experiences during her confirmation hearings, she proved to be a qualified candidate. President Joe Biden fulfilled one of his promises to make the Supreme Court a better representation of the American people: Americans like me. “It’s a powerful thing when people can see themselves in others,” Biden stated during his speech celebrating the historic confirmation. “And that’s one of the reasons I so strongly believed we needed a court that looks like America.” My grandparents experienced Black America during the Jim Crow era, defined by distinct lines of division and segregation. They faced hate head on for being who they were. They were smart, kind, loving people, but they were also black. Laws and regulations were made to stifle the progress
of people like them. It seemed impossible for a person of color to achieve a role in government, especially at the national level. Just 50 years later, I’ve been able to see the first African American elected President of the United States in 2008 and re-elected for a second term in 2012. Barack Obama showed the world that a black man could be President of the United States. I have seen the first black and Asian woman become Vice President of the United States. Kamala Harris showed the world that a woman and a person of color could become the Vice President of the United States. And most recently, I have seen Ketanji Brown Jackson nominated and confirmed to be a justice on the Supreme Court. Jackson showed the world that a black woman can be seated at such a prestigious table. Most importantly, my grandmother was able to see this
GLOBAL GRIDLOCK “ by Jacob Gold ‘23
Where is the security that the Security Council needs to guarantee?”
That’s one of many questions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has implored the United Nations to answer as of late. Who can blame him for wondering? We all expect the UN to have some sort of magical power to stop atrocities in the world, despite our better judgment. After all, their declared purpose is to encourage cooperation among different groups and to prosecute those who violate international law, right? Every time a major human rights abuse happens in the world, we ask them to end the violence. At times, it results in a strongly-worded condemnation or a few economic sanctions. But
all happen in her lifetime. There will soon be one more person who understands the black experience and the important responsibilities of a mother in America who will have a voice in the important decisions that impact all of our lives. She is a model for everyone, but most importantly little girls and children of color will see themselves in her. Jackson proves that we are inching towards the idea of a more perfect union our country was supposedly founded on. As a country we are moving in the direction of equal representation and opportunity for all people, regardless of color, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Who knows what opportunities will be available to our children? Their opportunities only expand when people like Ketanji Brown Jackson continue to make history.
Paralyzed UN Should be Anything But a Surprise
resolutions are scarcely quick and virtually never meaningful.
predictably, remained in deadlock.
The latest country to throw away the rule book is Russia. In their invasion of Ukraine, their government has flagrantly shown how little international law matters. Massive bombings of civilian targets, public executions of protesters, and kidnapping of Ukrainian citizens are just a few of the atrocities Russia doesn’t seem to mind committing. Despite verified reports, it took well over a month to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council — a symbolic action, at best. Despite a dramatic speech by UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya in which he told the UN to “act now or it might be too late,” the Security Council,
Perhaps a better question to ask is why we ever expect the UN to take serious action in stopping violence. The General Assembly, where every country has a voice, has few weapons other than words and economic sanctions. The Human Rights Council, which Russia has been suspended from, effectively only investigates violations and issues declarations. The only part of the UN with potential to stop the abuse is the Security Council, which grants veto powers to each member. In other words, all member nations on the council, including Russia, must reach a consensus to act. The UN is plagued by the same problem that has existed throughout human history. No
organization can keep the peace when the most violent person in the room gets the final say, and the UN allows for just that. That being said, the organization has been able to treat the symptoms of catastrophe with humanitarian aid. It does provide for arbitration of smaller disputes without war, and it does provide the world with a way to monitor conditions in war-torn countries when fighting erupts. To express, as some have, that the UN’s flaws are enough to make it worth tearing down is somewhat extreme. But for those who want an organization responsible for preventing violence, it’s time to start looking elsewhere. OPINION ELEVATE 27
