Supermajority Calls on Joe Biden to Keep His Promise to Nominate First Black Woman to the Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. – Today, Supermajority released the following statement after the retirement announcement of Justice Stephen C. Breyer, calling on President Joe Biden to fulfill his campaign promise of nominating the first Black woman to the Supreme Court:

“Justice Stephen G. Breyer was an unwavering defender of civil and reproductive rights and we thank him for his decades of service, upholding the rights of women and people of color throughout our country. Now, as President Biden looks to nominate Justice Breyer’s replacement, we are excited to know that the president will fulfill his campaign promise and nominate a Black woman to finally take her seat on the highest court in the land. 

Black women are, in large part, responsible for making this country fairer and more equal.  They started and sustained the largest, most important movements for change in this country, and yet, for more than 230 years, their civil rights, reproductive rights, and human rights have been decided without even one Black woman on the Supreme Court. 

Appointing a Black woman is about our country taking a giant step toward fairness, ensuring our government starts to accurately represent all of us at every level. There’s a lot at stake in the next Supreme Court term that will impact the lives of women, including a case that seeks to strip our constitutional right to an abortion. All while women — especially Black women — face continual attacks on voting rights, challenge systemic racism and suffer disproportionately from the impact of this global pandemic. When it comes to fairness on the Court, there’s no time to waste. 

In his acceptance speech for the presidency, President Joe Biden thanked Black Americans for their outsized and unyielding support. ‘You’ve always had my back,’ he said. He’s right. Black voters, and in particular Black women, secured President Biden’s victory in key battleground states, and we are thrilled Black women now have a president who will ensure their fair representation in the Supreme Court of the United States.”