POLITICS + WOMANISM
A Black Woman Could Make the Supreme Court More Reflective of American Values
It’s time to do what we can to put a Black woman on the bench. Let’s unpack this.
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The Supreme Court currently has nine judges who sit on the bench in lifelong positions. And “no,” there is nothing sacred about the number of justices; we’ve switched how many justices serve six times. In true American fashion, most seats are held by White men. Some are liberal, and some are conservative. But either way — White men are overrepresented on our Supreme Court.
Then, there are two seats currently overflowing with irony. We have Clarence Thomas, a conservative Black man who believed integration was a waste of time, and a White woman, Amy Coney Barret, who thinks the government has the right to force women to give birth, insisting they could simply give up the baby for adoption if they don’t want to be moms. A Black man who opposes the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement and a White woman who opposes women’s right to choose is making a mockery of the majority of minorities they represent.
While there is very little anyone can do to curtail the whims of lifelong appointees, we can diversify the court and add varied viewpoints. Adding a Black woman to the Supreme Court could help level the playing field. Those on the court must believe in protecting the rights of all American citizens, not just the White, male ones. Black women justices could make the court more reflective of American values. Enshrined in the constitution is the idea that all people are created equally, but our country needs a judiciary whose interpretation matches those ideas. Believing that integration was a waste of time or that women do not deserve body autonomy is inconsistent with most Americans’ beliefs.
Throughout the 232 years of the Supreme Court’s tenure, a Black woman never had the opportunity to become a Supreme Court Justice. “The Constitution does not specify qualifications for Justices such as age, education, profession, or native-born citizenship.” Yet, Black women have been excluded for hundreds of years. Misogynoir, the toxic cocktail of racism and sexism, keeps Black women out of positions of power. Since we have a Black man and…
