ATLANTA — As the U.S. Senate confirmed that Ketanji Brown Jackson will become the next Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, Georgia's Democratic leaders — including the state's two Senators who voted for her confirmation — marked the moment with pride.
"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson," Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock tweeted. "History has been made."
Justice Jackson will become the first Black woman (and first public defender) on the Supreme Court when she takes her seat this summer upon Stephen Breyer's retirement. In many respects Georgia's election of Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff helped make the moment happen.
Rep. Nikema Williams — who represents John Lewis' old district in Atlanta — retweeted one message that said: "Once again, thank you Georgia."
Jason Esteves, a former member of the Atlanta Board of Education now running for state Senate, echoed the sentiment himself: "On this historic day, Georgia is on my mind." NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur also noted Georgia's influence: "This lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is brought to you by the Georgia Senate runoffs."
And Georgia state Sen. Nikki Merritt wrote that "electing Democrats, especially here in Georgia, delivered this momentous day."
Warnock himself also tweeted a photo with Jackson, writing: "Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Ossoff said in a statement: “This is a historic moment, and it has been an honor to participate in these proceedings on behalf of my constituents in Georgia. I wish Judge Jackson and her family the best upon her historic confirmation.”
Rep. Hank Johnson evoked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in marking the moment.
"I'm sure that Dr. King, who was assassinated 54 years and three days ago, beams with pride as our nation lives out the true meaning of its creed – that all men and women are created equal. I congratulate Judge Jackson and her family," he said. "The nation thanks her for her service and we look forward to a long, distinguished career on the #SCOTUS."
King's daughter and the CEO of the King Center, Dr. Bernice King, called the confirmation a "powerful moment in the history of this nation."
"What a reminder that change can come," King wrote. "Let's embrace it and keep working for true peace."
Georgia's top Democrat, gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, tweeted: "Anchored by intellectual rigor, compassion and fortitude, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joins the U.S. Supreme Court and the annals of history. We are grateful for service that brought her here and the work yet to come. Congratulations, America! "
In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wrote that Justice Jackson's "confirmation is historic, and I am confident that she will be a diligent and thoughtful addition to our nation's highest court."
"While we still have much work ahead of us to ensure this country lives up to its highest of ideals, today we take one more step toward a more perfect union," Dickens said.
Former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, now a CNN contributor, wrote that "as we celebrate this extraordinary moment please remember it’s possible because we elected @POTUS and others who value women, competence and diversity."
She then added a quote from Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge in 1966: "There appears to be no limit as to how far the women's revolution will take us.”
Rep. Lucy McBath issued a statement calling the confirmation a "moment for joy."
"A moment to celebrate remarkable progress; to reflect on the history that has already been made by Justice Jackson’s confirmation, and the history that will be made by her presence on the Supreme Court. Congratulations, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson!" McBath said.
Sherry Boston, the district attorney of DeKalb County, and among the just 1% of district attorneys in the U.S. who are Black women, wrote: "An amazing moment in history! I am proud and inspired. Representation matters. Congratulations Ketanji Brown Jackson!"