GLOW students react to the first African American woman nominated to the Supreme Court
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In New Hanover County, the students of Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, or GLOW, are watching history as it unfolds.
The girls of GLOW say they are giddy over Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination. Out of the US’s 115 Supreme Court justices, 110 have been white men. Student Cheris Irzarri-Belmont believes more diversity could mean a better future.
“We need more diversity because it helps them interpret the laws like they should. You can see from different perspectives from different backgrounds, from different education standards. And it helps you interpret if those laws are constitutional because of this perspective you lived but it’s like… a range,” she said.
The average nomination hearing takes a couple months before Senate votes based on the nominee’s experience and answers to often intense interview questions. Watching in real time, student Bella Logan says she believes Brown Jackson has done better than many of her predecessors.
“She handled that extremely well. Like you can tell that she’s not in it for one minority group or she’s not in it just to be biased against people,” she said. ‘She’s honestly here to make things better.”
Though the hearing has been trying, the 11th graders say they’re happy the highest court in the nation could soon look a little more like them.
“It feels really good honestly,” said student Lesslie Saldana. “I feel like she also sets a goal in a lot of young people, especially young people of color who have been told that they can’t make it that far, when it’s being shown now that they can.”
Thursday was the fourth day of Brown Jackson’s hearing. Upon confirmation, she would replace Justice Stephen Briar, who she clerked for from 1999-2000.
