Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recently expressed that she was “flattered” by comments from Justice Clarence Thomas regarding her dissent on the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against affirmative action, specifically at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
In an interview with CNN, Jackson was asked about the potential negative effects of the court’s decision on Black students. Though she admitted she hadn’t deeply explored the topic, she appreciated Thomas’ remarks on her dissent, interpreting them as a sign that her arguments were impactful.
“In one way, I think I was flattered,” Jackson told CNN’s Abby Phillip, explaining that it felt significant to be acknowledged in such a manner. It’s worth noting that Jackson recused herself from the Harvard case due to her affiliation as an alumna.
Affirmative action encompasses initiatives designed to support minority groups by taking race and gender into account in education and employment.
In her dissent from June 2023, Jackson elaborated on the existing disparities in health, wealth, and overall well-being among Americans, emphasizing that the nation has never operated in a colorblind fashion. She argued that to ignore historical injustices and their impacts on current applicants is to overlook the persistent inequalities we face.
In response, Thomas critiqued Jackson for prioritizing historical racial disparities over individual identities in her dissent. He noted that her perspective suggests a societal entrapment in racism that traces back to slavery.
During the interview, Jackson also touched on her memoir, Lovely One, along with her professional journey and family life.
