Member-only story

Ketanji Brown Jackson and the Belated Outrage of White Liberals

Where were they when our other Black sisters were suffering in plain sight?

Jeremy Helligar
Momentum
4 min readMar 26, 2022

--

Ketanji Brown Jackson vs. Ted Cruz (Photo: YouTube)

I think I finally know what it must be like to watch a convict jump through hoops to convince a parole board they’re worthy of freedom. Or what it must be like to watch an overqualified Black female job candidate try to prove herself as employable as any White man — or White woman.

Those proceedings must unfold a lot like the U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Kentanji Brown Jackson. Like many people I know, I spent part of the last week watching in horror as one Republican senator after another grilled the first Black female nominee to the United States’ highest court in a racially charged job interview that probably would be considered illegal in any corporate office.

Unlike many of my White liberal friends, though, I’m not going to use this moment to promote my racial enlightenment on social media. I recognize the hearings for what they really are: politics as usual in 2022. Horrified as I am by the tone of certain White senators and the complete lack of respect they’ve extended to Jackson (would a White or even a conservative Black nominee be asked where they stand on Critical Race Theory, The 1619 Project, and Ibram X. Kendi?), in a…

--

--

Momentum
Momentum

Published in Momentum

Momentum is a blog that captures and reflects the moment we find ourselves in, one where rampant anti-Black racism is leading to violence, trauma, protest, reflection, sorrow, and more. Momentum doesn’t look away when the news cycle shifts.

Jeremy Helligar
Jeremy Helligar

Written by Jeremy Helligar

Brother Son Husband Friend Loner Minimalist World Traveler. Author of “Is It True What They Say About Black Men?” and “Storms in Africa” https://rb.gy/3mthoj

Responses (15)