The Story of Katanji Brown Jackson
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Crown Books for Young Readers
(pub.2.28.2023) 40 pages
Ages 4-8
Author: Carol Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Ashley Evans
Character: Kentanji Brown Jackson
Overview:
" From the time their daughter was born, Ketanji Brown’s parents taught her that if she worked hard and believed in herself, she could do anything. As a child, Ketanji focused on her studies and excelled, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School.
Years later, in 2016, when she was a federal judge, a seat opened on the United States Supreme Court. In a letter to then-President Barack Obama, Leila Jackson made a case for her mother—Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Although the timing didn’t work out then, it did in 2022, when President Joe Biden nominated her. At her confirmation, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black female Supreme Court justice in the United States."
Tantalizing taste:
Ketanji rose
from acting and singing to conquering the debate stage,
where she won national awards for public speaking.
Under the wing of her debate coach, Mrs. Fran Berger, Ketanji thrived.
'Mrs. Berger believed in me, and, in turn, I believed in myself."
She rose
above the debate judges who mocked her African name.
She'd respond by saying it clearly and writing it on the board:
K-e-t-a-n-j-i.
And something more: Author Carole Boston Weatherford wrote, in part, in "A Letter to My Granddaughter and All of Our Daughters":
"The long overdue appointment confirmed what Black women had always known: We belong. I could not help but cry.
There are still obstacles to overcome, doors to open, and hills to climb. Draw on the hope and strength of your ancestors. Your place is in the sun."
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