Ketanji Brown Jackson is celebrating Women’s History Month a little differently this year. On Monday (March 6), the Supreme Court Justice was honored with a street in her name where she was raised in Miami.
“I hope that this street naming will also serve as a testament to what is possible in this great country. I hope that people who are driving by might have a moment of reflection about what it means that a person from this neighborhood and someone from my background could take what this place has to offer, and be well-equipped enough to then go out into the world, and do what it takes to not only become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States — but also the first former public defender — and the first associate justice who is from the great state of Florida,” Jackson said during Monday’s ceremony.
‘I hope that this street naming will also serve as a testament to what is possible in this great country’ — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson returned Monday to Miami, FL, where she grew up, for a street naming ceremony in her honor pic.twitter.com/oWuy1WRf4b
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 6, 2023
Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners was happy to present Jackson with the highly regarded achievement. “As a mother, lawyer, public servant and woman of color, the Justice is an inspiration, to say the very least. It is my absolute honor to recognize the Justice and to do so during Women’s History Month,” Higgins shared. She continued, “It is not just her accomplishments, it is also her character. While most of us will never near any of her accomplishments, many of us can certainly relate to her story.” Jackson’s loved ones, including her parents, were present for the well-deserved moment. According to Higgins, they “taught the importance of education and hard work but also to love your country even when your country did not love you back.”
Miami attorney Stephen Rosenthal grew up with the politician and spoke in favor of her at Monday’s event. “There will be a connection right here, across centuries of American history, when people drive on Harriet Tubman Highway to get to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Street,” he told the audience. Her new honor is located on Eureka Drive or Southwest 184th Street between Caribbean Drive and Old Cutler Road in Cutler Bay. Jackson grew up in Cutler Bay and is a Miami Palmetto Senior High School graduate. After leaving Miami, she became a Harvard Law alum.