September 13, 2025
The crowd erupted when the Justice took the stage to read an excerpt from her best-selling memoir, paying homage to her first and middle names–Ketanji Onyika–meaning “Lovely One.”
On a brisk September night, members of Charlotte elite gathered at the newly revamped Carolina Theatre to hear words from the first Black women to ever sit on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The sold-out crowd could be heard whispering of how much they already loved her 2024 book, “Lovely One: A Memoir,” while others patiently waited in line to purchase it before doors opened. Lovers of politics, who currently fight for our rights, like North Carolina Democratic Congresswoman Alma Adams, took their seats as Secret Service agents could be seen scanning the onlookers. It wasn’t long before Brown-Jackson’s childhood best friend, Sunny Schleifer Binder, took the stage to introduce the history-maker.
The crowd erupted when the Justice took the stage to read an excerpt from her best-selling memoir, paying homage to her first and middle names–Ketanji Onyika–meaning “Lovely One.” For roughly five minutes, she read a section of the book that discussed her journey growing up in Miami, Florida, and the honor it was to be raised by two HBCU-educated parents. Born in 1970, just five years after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law, Brown-Jackson spoke about her early love for theater and debating, admitting that at an young age she wanted to be the first Supreme Court Justice to perform on Broadway.
As the program was put on by the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, in collaboration with The Gambrell Soundation and the Arts + Science Council, the audience became engaged in the conversation, moderated by Gantt himself. Gantt is known for his philanthropy work in addition to being the first African-American student of Clemson University in 1963 and Charlotte’s first Black mayor in 1983.
The two history makers chatted about her journey to becoming the first Black woman justice in the Supreme Court’s 236-year history, succeeding retired Justice Stephen Breyer, for who she worked as a law clerk. “The vision precedes the passage,” she said as she chatted about how she served on every level of federal court. Graduating from Harvard University, Brown Jackson talked about her days as an undergrad, where she met her husband, Patrick, in an era during which she found herself struggling to fit in.
But it was one particular moment she shared with the audience that made some tear up in addition to thunderous applause. The mother of two reminisced on one day walking on campus, feeling slightly down being away from the warm Florida weather, and celebrating her 18th birthday in the cool Cambridge, Massachusetts, fall. And out of nowhere, a Black woman started walking towards her and whispered “persevere” to her and scurried away. She took that as a sign that she was exactly where she needed to be, remembering words from her aunts of angels always being around her without knowing.
And remembering a famous quote from renowned author Toni Morrison after fighting to have a Confederate flag removed. “The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work…” the novelist once said.
It;s words such as Morrison’s that helped Brown Jackson realize that not only did she earn her seat on the Supreme Court, but deserved it. “I have a seat at the table now and I’m ready to work,” she told the audience.
“And I feel that.”
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