www.workersworldtoday.com
February 2022
6
Civil Rights
Her Name is Judge Kentaji Brown Jackson BY MICHAEL BLAKE
M
y heart is full of pride as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been nominated to the Supreme Court by President Biden. I commend the President for honoring his pledge of selecting a Black Woman to the highest court in the land. For Black people and all People of Color, who are the most negatively impacted by the justice system, today is a hopeful day, a day of Black Excellence, and a step forward towards equal justice under the law. Judge Brown Jackson can be the 116th Supreme Court justice in the nation’s history. Among the first 115, there have been 108 white men; two Black men; and five women, one a Latina. This is how we turn Pain into Promise. This is how Equity is Instilled. This afternoon, Judge Brown Jackson made an appeal di-
Photo: whitehouse.gov
rectly to the man who she clerked under and who she will replace on the Court, Justice Stephen Breyer, “the Senate will decide if I feel your seat, but I can never fill your shoes.” Her humility and acknowledgement of the significance of this moment in history shows her commitment to serving our nation with distinction. Judge Brown also invoked the incomparable civil rights icon and proud New Yorker,
Constance Baker Motley, saying, “We were born exactly 49 years to the day apart. Today, I proudly stand on Judge Motley’s shoulders, sharing not only her birthday, but also her steadfast and courageous commitment to equal justice under law.” Both have and will continue to build a legacy that will inspire future generations of young people to dream and prepare themselves to hold a position that has never been held by some-
one who looks like them, knowing one day it will be in their reach. “I’ve had an opportunity that my grandparents would not have been able to even fathom. It is the beauty and the majesty of this country that someone who comes from a background like mine could find herself in this position.” We are proud to see you so fully fill this momentous position, Judge Brown Jackson. Her name is Ketanji Brown Jackson. She is our next Supreme Court Justice. She is the epitome of Black HERstory.p Michael Blake is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He formerly served as a New York Assemblyman from the 79th district. He is a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Blake is the Founding CEO of ATLAS Strategy Group.
Nail Salon Industry/ continued from page 5 merous hazards in their work, from chemicals to repetitive stress injuries and poor ventilation,” said Brian BrownCashdollar, Executive Director of WNYCOSH. “NYS has already taken action to start addressing some of those hazards, but setting industrywide minimum standards would ensure better working conditions for workers and their clients, and reduce the risks for everyone.” "The New York chapter of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) is proud to support the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act," said Steven Moy, President of APALA New York. "Too often Asian American, immigrant, and women workers are concentrated in industries with poor standards and little bargaining power. This innovative bill gives nail salon workers in New York a voice on wages and conditions in their industry while leading the way for the rest of the nation to build power for AAPI workers and other workers of color."p
