President Biden Will Nominate 1st Black Woman to US Supreme Court to Replace Justice Stephen Breyer

President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will nominate the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court, making good on a promise from his election campaign.

His announcement came as he praised the legacy of Justice Stephen Breyer, who said earlier this week that he would retire from the nation's highest court.

"Our process is going to be rigorous. I will select the nominee worthy of Justice Breyer's legacy of excellence and decency," Biden said.  

"The person I will nominate will be someone of extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court."

It is a nomination, he said, that is "long overdue."

Breyer's resignation sparked intense speculation this week about who his replacement would be. Social media banter included Vice President Kamala Harris and law professor Anita Hill, who accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his nomination process.

Top contenders for Breyer's seat include Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, a former law clerk to Breyer, and current member of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Other possibilities include Leondra Kruger, 45, who serves on the California Supreme Court, and J Michelle Childs, who serves on South Carolina's federal court.

Related Stories