Making ‘Herstory’: Four NIU law students travel to D.C. in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

DeKALB – Carletta Sanders said she’s wanted to study law since she was 8 years old.

At a garage sale in Mississippi, she purchased all of a retired attorney’s law books for $15.

“I had an entire law library at the age of 8,” Sanders said. “However, through the years, I realized that not a lot of attorneys look like me, because there are very few Black women in law.”

Sanders, Totiana Sudduth, Tondi Bailey and Jessica Fullilove attended the “Have Her Back Day of Action” rally in Washington D.C. in support of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. All four women are third-year Northern Illinois University law students affiliated with the National Black Law Student Association, which provided the all-expenses-paid trip.

More than 100 students from more than 30 universities attended the rally held March 21-22. It was organized by Demand Justice and the National Black Public Defenders Association.

President Joe Biden nominated Jackson to become the 116th Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Jackson, 51, has served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2021. The confirmation hearings concluded last week and a vote is expected in April.

“Of all the attorneys in the U.S., about 5% are Black, and of that percentage, about 2% are women and one woman of that 2% is nominated for the Supreme Court,” Bailey said. “That’s why it’s so important. We have to increase that number and show other Black men and women that they can pursue law, that it is possible.”

Sanders said a humorous moment during the rally occurred when a young boy came up to the group and asked if they knew the judge personally.

“I never felt more proud or was more inspired by someone that I’ve never met,” Sanders said. “When we read law cases and see perspectives, none of the judges look like me. When I was in D.C., I could wake up, look in the mirror and know that we are one day closer at having a Supreme Court justice that looks like me.”

The law students said that when looking at Jackson, they see their mom, their aunts and their future selves.

Fullilove said that representation on the Supreme Court matters, especially because it is the highest federal court in the country. Fullilove said she was inspired to become a lawyer because of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

“Michelle Obama is from South Shore, and I’m from Englewood, and I realized that if she can do it, why can’t I?” Fullilove said. “However, there has never been a Supreme Court Justice that looks like me. She has my experiences, my perspectives. It’s so relatable to me. It’s important to let her know that we have her back, we will stand up for her so that she is empowered. Her appointment means a lot to people of color.”

Fullilove, who also is the Midwest Region chair for the NLBSA, helped organize the event and was able to attend the March 24 confirmation hearing in person, where Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, gave a passionate speech.

“I want to tell you, when I look at you, this is why I get emotional,” Booker said at the hearing. “I’m sorry, you’re a person that is so much more than your race and gender. You’re a Christian. You’re a mom. It’s hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom. I see my ancestors and yours. … You have earned this spot. You are worthy. You are a great American.”

“Tears came to my eyes after his speech,” Fullilove said. “It made me cry. It moved me and filled me with a sense of pride and a sense of belonging that I cannot explain.”

Sudduth said that being in Washington, D.C. was a surreal experience she will not forget and one that she already enjoys retelling to her 4-year-old daughter.

“A lot of people don’t understand what it means for us to be there, to be a Black woman in law and see it happening, see history taking place right in front of us,” Sudduth said. “This is something you read about in history books. This is something I will tell my daughter and one day my grandchildren. The feeling to be there in person is an indescribable feeling and so meaningful.”

Fullilove said that as a law student, she is constantly reading legal cases.

“I read a lot of cases, and one day, [Jackson’s] decisions will show up in my law books,” Fullilove said. “It’s phenomenal and prolific. Her appointment is historic because she will be the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice – but she also won’t be the last.”