Why This SCOTUS Nomination Matters

President Joe Biden recently confirmed that his nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer would be a woman of color. When that nomination is made, it will be the first woman of color nominated to serve on the highest court of the land. And that matters more than some people might realize.

In the history of the Supreme Court, there have been 115 Supreme Court Justices. 108 of them have been white men. Four have been women (Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and most recently Amy Coney Barrett). Three have been individuals of color (Justices Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Thomas, and Sonia Sotomayor).

By nominating a woman of color to the bench, President Biden is sending a long overdue message to the women of color in this country that there is no place they don’t belong. He is sending the message that they can set their sights on the highest offices in the land.

Evidence shows that adequately representing the diversity of this nation is important because it empowers minority groups. And with empowerment comes greater autonomy and feelings of self-esteem, which is something all people deserve. And this new justice, more than just having the chance to shape the law of the land, has the chance to offer that inspiration to future legal minds.