This Thursday, President Joe Biden is expected to announce the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The decision of who Biden chooses to precede Breyer's position will be one of the most historic decisions of Biden's presidency.
Justice Stephen G. Breyer has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1994. Nominated by President Bill Clinton, he replaced justice Harry Blackmun who was retiring at the time. Breyer's rulings have led him to be associated as being apart of the more liberal wing of the Court.
The United States has had a rough time in regard to picking worthy justices to occupy the prestigious office. With the controversial (and frankly problematic) appointments of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett as associate justices, the current panel of judges tend to lean more conservatively. With voting and reproductive rights on the line and at risk of being repealed, there is a dire need for balance in this judicial lineup.
DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and South Carolina US District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs—all dynamic names of contenders—are allegedly on the proposed short list of worthy candidates to fill Breyer's position. Additionally, Sherrilyn Ifill, the civil rights attorney and President of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; South Carolina Judge Anita Earls; Minnesota District Judge Wilhelmina "Mimi" Wright; Circuit Judge Eunice Lee; and Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi are also rumored possibly to be vetted for the role.
The mere fact that as of 2022, a Black woman have not been given the opportunity to sit on the Supreme Court is more than concerning. With the many promises made prior to his presidency, Biden's vow to place a Black women in a Supreme Court seat is a move that will undoubtedly define his legacy. Moreover, this decision will set a precedent for the remainder of his time as President of the United States. With low polling numbers and a lack of likability from the American people, the time is more than right for 46 to make good on making this happen.
At the end of the day, the decision that President Biden makes will unequivocally reveal his true self and his intentions for the good of the country.
