Ketanji Brown Jackson opens up about journey to Supreme Court

♪♪ >>> TWO YEARS AGO KETANJI BROWN JACKSON BECAME THE NEWEST ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. >> IN HER NEW MEMOIR "LOVELY ONE" THE HISTORY MAKING JUSTICE IS TELLING THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF HER JOURNEY TO GET THERE. TAKE A LOOK. >> I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT MY LIFE HAS BEEN BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE. >> IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, KETANJI BROWN JACKSON WAS SWORN IN AS THE 116th JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. BECOMING THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN CHOSEN TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE. SHE DETAILS HER LIFE LEADING UP TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT IN HER MEMOIR "LOVELY ONE." >> MINE HAS BEEN AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY IN MANY RESPECTS. >> BORN TO TWO PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, SHE GREW UP IN MIAMI WHERE HER FATHER'S ADMISSION TO LAW SCHOOL INSPIRED HER LIFE'S MISSION. >> MY EARLIEST MEMORIES WATCHING MY FATHER STUDY. HE HAD A STACK OF LAW BOOKS ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. I SAT ACROSS WITH MY STACK OF COLORING BOOKS. >> SHE WAS ACCEPTED TO HARVARD, DESPITE BEING TOLD BY A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR SHE WAS SETTING HER SIGHTS TOO HIGH. SHE GRADUATED WITH HONORS, EARNED A LAW DEGREE AND MET HER FUTURE HUSBAND DR. PATRICK JACKSON. TOGETHER THEY RAISED TWO DAUGHTERS, TALIA AND LEILA. SHE WORKED FOR YEARS AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER AND FEDERAL JUDGE BEFORE BEING NOMINATED TO THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT. THE SAME COURT THAT UPHELD THE SEPARATE BUT EQUAL JIM CROW LAWS HER PARENTS LIVED UNDER UNTIL JUST 16 YEARS BEFORE HER BIRTH. >> MOO MY FAMILY IT TOOK ONE GENERATION TO GO FROM SEGREGATION TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. >> "LOVELY ONE" IS THE MOVING STORY OF STRIVING AGAINST THE ODDS AND ACHIEVING ONE'S ULTIMATE DREAMS. >> HOW MUCH MORE LOVELY ANY ONE LIFE BE? >> YOU CAN'T CRY YET. >> I AM CRYING BEFORE WE EVEN TALK TO YOU. JUSTICE JACKSON, GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >> "LOVELY ONE," IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TITLE FOR YOUR LIFE. IT IS ALSO WHAT YOUR NAME MEANS. >> IT IS. SO I WAS BORN IN 1970 AND MY AUNT WAS IN THE PEACE CORPS IN AFRICA, AND MY PARENTS, WHO AS YOUR PIECE SHOWED GREW UP IN SEGREGATION, BUT HAD A FIERCE PRIDE IN OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE, ASKED MY AUNT TO SEND AFRICAN NAMES. AND THEY CHOSE KETANJI ONYIKA, WHICH THEY WERE TOLD MEANS LOVELY ONE. >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY. WE KNOW REPRESENTATION MATTERS. I REMEMBER BEING AT HOME WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND SEEING A GIRL ON THE NEWS AND I WANT TO DO THAT. HOW LONG DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO GO INTO LAW? IS IT SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS HAD ON YOUR HEART? >> FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY MEMORIES, I TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE BOOK. AND MY FATHER WENT BACK TO LAW SCHOOL WHEN I WAS YOUNG. AND WE LIVED ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LAW SCHOOL, AND WE WOULD SIT TOGETHER WHILE HE WAS STUDYING, I WAS COLORING, AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT LAW WAS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO. >> YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT. WE DO A LOT OF SEGMENTS ON THE SHOW. I AM NOT SURE THERE HAS BEEN ONE QUITE SO POWERFUL. IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK YOU BASICALLY WROTE THAT THIS IS THE DREAM YOU WANTED TO HAVE, AND THEN YOU WENT ON TO DO IT AND YOUR HARVARD GRADUATION, TOO? >> YES. >> SO YOU FELT THIS IN YOU. >> I DID. I DID. WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I CAME ACROSS THE STORY OF CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY, WHO TALKED ABOUT HAVING ROLE MODELS AND SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEDERAL JUDGE. AND WE HAPPENED TO SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY. AND THAT WAS SO POWERFUL TO ME AS A CONNECTION WITH HER. AND THE FACT THAT I HAD ALREADY BEEN INTERESTED IN LAW REALLY MADE ME FEEL LIKE, MAYBE I CAN BE A JUDGE. IT WAS AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT JUSTICE O'CONNOR WAS APPOINTED. THEN THERE WAS A WOMAN JUDGE ON THE SUPREME COURT. I THINK IT JUST WENT ON FROM THERE IN TERMS OF THAT. >> THERE COMES A TIME IN OUR LIVES WHERE YOU GO TO SCHOOL, YOU ARE DOING THE THINGS, I GOT THIS, I AM DOING THIS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN VOICE COMES. DID YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE AND ALSO HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT? >> I DID. I HAD THAT IMPOSTOR SYNDROME VOICE HAPPEN TO ME WHEN I WAS FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE. THAT HAPPENS A LOT, I THINK. IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY COMING UP. I WAS FEELING LIKE OUT OF SORTS. I HAD COME FROM FLORIDA, FROM MIAMI, BIG PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. HERE I WAS IN, YOU KNOW, HARVARD, AND I WAS FEELING VERY, LIKE, MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE. AND I WAS WALKING ON A PATH RIGHT IN THE YARD, AND A WOMAN PASSED ME, A BLACK WOMAN I DIDN'T KNOW. AS WE PASSED, SHE MUST HAVE SEEN IT ON MY FACE. SHE LEANED OVER AND SAID, PERSEVERE. >> THAT PART IN THE BOOK -- >> JUST LIKE, OH. >> GUARDIAN ANGEL. >> IT REALLY FELT LIKE IT. ABSOLUTELY. >> HARVARD WAS IMPORTANT FOR MANY REASONS. ONE OF WHICH I THINK -- I SAID THIS EARLIER IN READING YOUR BOOK. I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE SUCH A LOVE STORY. IT'S A LOVE STORY ABOUT YOUR PARENTS LOVE FOR YOU, WHICH WAS SO POWERFUL. YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS. BUT ALSO YOU HAVE A PRETTY ROMANTIC LOVELY LOVE WITH YOUR HUSBAND, WHOM -- AND YOU WRITE THIS. AND I FEEL THIS WAY ABOUT MY HUSBAND. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULD BE HERE. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> WITHOUT HIM? >> ABSOLUTELY. THE SUPPORT HE HAS GIVEN ME. THE FACT THAT HE WAS THE ONE -- YOU TALKED ABOUT MANIFESTING. HE SAID WHEN HE WAS TRAINING AS A RESIDENT, FIRST GETTING INTO MEDICINE, THAT WE NEEDED TO BE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ON THE SUPREME COURT ONE DAY. THERE WAS A TIME YOU WRITE ABOUT, YOU SAID I LOOKED OVER AND HE GAVE ME A SENSE OF SAFETY AND CALM. >> YES. >> I WROTE THAT DOWN IN MY NOTES. WHAT A PARTNER. >> YES. >> TO LOOK ACROSS THE ROOM AND FEEL THAT. >> HE IS HERE. I HAVE TO ASK BECAUSE I THINK HE WAS TRYING TO KIND OF, FIRST OF ALL -- >> OH! >> HE IS LIKE ME. HE CRIES AT EVERYTHING. BUT ALSO I THINK HE WAS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION AND YOU -- >> I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE MET IN A CLASS. HE WOULD SIT BEHIND ME. IT WAS A STADIUM SEATING KIND OF DEALS. HE WOULD PUT HIS FEET ON MY CHAIR AND TAP ON MY SHOULDER, YOU KNOW. >> SHE WASN'T GETTING THE PICTURE? >> AWKWARD ASPECT OF BEING A TEENAGER TRYING TO GET ATTENTION. THAT'S ALL IT WAS. >> WELL, I THINK YOUR LOVE IS REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTERS. YOUR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. I LOVE THAT YOUR DAUGHTER WROTE -- YOUR YOUNGER DAUGHTER WROTE A LETERT. NOT ONLY SUPPORTIVE, BUT WROTE A LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THIS IS WHAT SHE SAID. I HAVE SO READ SOME OF IT, IF YOU CAN GO BACK, SO I CAN. SHE SAID, SHE IS DETERMINED HONEST AND NEVER BREAKS A PROMISE TO DO ANYONE. IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS SHE WOULD DO, SHE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT AND IS LOYAL AND NEVER BRAGS. I THINK SHE WOULD MAKE A GREAT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. >> SHE DID. SHE WROTE THAT WHEN SHE WAS 11. >> WHAT? >> AND SHE WAS JUST DETERMINED TO LET THE PRESIDENT KNOW, BECAUSE SHE HAD COME TO ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR THE JOB OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. THIS IS AFTER JUSTICE SCALIA DIED. I SAID YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR THAT JOB. SHE SAID, WELL, I AM GOING TO TELL THE PRESIDENT WHO YOU ARE AND SHE WROTE A LETTER. >> DID SHE GET A RESPONSE? >> WELL, IT ALL WORKED OUT. WE KNOW THAT. >> SHE GOT A RESPONSE. THE RESPONSE IS BIGGER THAN SHE COULD HAVE DREAMED. >> BEFORE YOU LEAVE US, BEFORE WE GO TO COMMERCIAL, I READ THAT IN ADDITION, OBVIOUSLY, TO BEING A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, YOU LOVE BROADWAY AND YOU LOVE -- I KNOW -- >> YOU WERE ACTING COMING UP IN. >> I DID. I ACTED A LOT IN COLLEGE. >> IS THAT MO ROCCA? >> YEAH. >> AND MATT DAMON. >> BEFORE THEY WERE STARS. >> ALL THREE OF YOU. >> YOU WROTE IN YOUR HARVARD YEARBOOK, WHATEVER, YOU WANT TO BE A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE AND BROADWAY STAR. I HAD A SMALL START IN "CHICAGO." MY DREAMS WERE ALSO BROADWAY. >> REALLY? >> IS IT TOO LATE? >> NO. >> OKAY, Y'ALL. >> DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE? DO YOU SING? >> I DO SING. I WOULD LOVE TO BE IN A MUSICAL. MAYBE DURING THE SUMMER. >> WHAT ABOUT "LES MIS"? EVEN AT THE KENNEDY CENTER. I DON'T KNOW WHY I AM INSERTING MYSELF. >> SHE SAID "WE." >> I KNOW. BUT WE HAVE TO LIVE OUT OUR DREAMS TOGETHER, RIGHT? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> ALL RIGHT. WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE WITH JUSTICE JACKSON, INCLUDING HER TIME ON THE COURT RIGHT AFTER THIS. ♪♪ >>> WE ARE BACK WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON. SHE IS OUT WITH A BEAUTIFUL MEMOIR AND IT IS CALLED "LOVELY ONE." WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. LET'S GO TO THAT DAY BEING SWORN IN. IT'S THE FIRST -- AS THE FIRST. >> YES. >> THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A DREAM AND ALSO I CAN'T IMAGINE THE WEIGHT THAT MUST HAVE FELT, TOO. LIKE EVERYTHING AT ONCE? >> IT WAS SO PHENOMENAL. BUT ALSO OVERWHELMING. I FELT, OBVIOUSLY, PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT, BUT ALSO SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THIS WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT IN MY LIFE. THAT WAS REALLY WHY I WROTE THE BOOK, BECAUSE I WANTED TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD GOTTEN ME TO THIS POINT. NO ONE REACHES THE HIGHEST OF HEIGHTS ON THEIR OWN. I HAVE A I THAT IN THE BOOK AND I REALLY FELT THAT ON THAT DAY. >> YOU TALK ABOUT CERTAIN EVENTS IN LIFE WHERE YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE. I REMEMBER DURING ALL OF IT, PEOPLE WERE CALLING PEOPLE. I REMEMBER FRIENDS HAVING PHONES, YOU KNOW, AT WORK TRYING TO WATCH. IT WAS SUCH AN EVENT FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. DID YOU FEEL THAT? IT WAS BIGGER THAN YOU? >> I DID. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BIGGER THAN ME. ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY REACHED OUT TO ME, BUT JUST WERE THERE, WHO -- PEOPLE ON THE STREET SAYING, WE SAW YOU, KEEP GOING, WE ARE SUPPORTING YOU. SO IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL. >> THIS IS AN ELUSIVE GROUP. IT'S KIND OF SECRETIVE. NONE OF US REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. THERE ARE FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE FORMED THAT HAVE BEEN WIDELY WRITTEN ABOUT. HAVE YOU FOUND IT TO BE A FRIENDLY PLACE? AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SAY? >> NO, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE APPOINTMENTS THAT GO ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. YOU HAVE TO GET TO KNOW PEOPLE. I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COURT DOES BY TRADITION IS THE NEWEST JUSTICE HAS A WELCOME DINNER THROWN BY THE JUSTICE THAT IMMEDIATELY PRECEDED HIM OR HER. SO AMY CONEY BARRETT THREW ME A WONDERFUL PARTY. YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING PERSONAL ABOUT THE PERSON. SHE THREW A HAMILTON THEMED DINNER, WHICH WAS GREAT. SHE HAD A BIG SIGN MADE THAT SAID THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS. SHE HIRED A SINGER TO SING SONGS FROM THE SHOW. IT WAS WONDERFUL. >> SUCH A POLITICALLY DIVISIVE CLIMATE RIGHT NOW. IF I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU, I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU, I DON'T CAL FIRE CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. YOU CAN GET ALONG. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AND THE NEED FOR THAT NOW? >> ABSOLUTELY. I TALKED ABOUT TRADITION ON THE COURT AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE SIT DOWN FOR LUNCH ALMOST EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE A COURT APPEARANCE OR A CONFERENCE. LUNCH IS AVAILABLE FOR THE JUSTICES. AND WE -- THE RULE IS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT CASES. SO WE LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE'S FAMILIES AND WE TALK ABOUT SPORTS AND MOVIES. >> DOES THAT HELP? WHEN YOU SEE THE OTHER PERSON AS A HUMAN -- >> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. >> THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD ALL LEARN FROM. OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS NO SECRET THAT THE STATE OF THE COURT AND THE FUTURE OF THE COURT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT A LOT. PEOPLE ARE WORRIED. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE READING YOUR BOOK AND WATCHING YOU? >> WELL, I THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF DEMOCRACY, THAT PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED NOW. THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT THE COURT AND THE FORM AND THE FUNCTION AND THE STRUCTURE, AND THAT'S REALLY A PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. JUDGES ARE PUBLIC OFFICIALS. WE ARE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. WE ARE NOT BEYOND CRITICISM OR CONSTRAINT. AND SO PEOPLE LOOKING AT OUR DEMOCRACY IS REALLY A PART OF THE WAY WE ARE. >> WELL, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IF YOU GET THIS BOOK AND YOU READ IT, OR IF YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR GIRLS READ IT, WHEN MILA'S A LITTLE OLDER, I WILL HAVE HER HER READ IT, YOU LOVE THIS COUNTRY VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> YOUR PARENTS LOVE THIS COUNTRY. >> VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> MY GOODNESS. >> AND WRITING THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK. >> WELL I AM DELIGHTED. SO GLAD YOU READ IT. >> I LOVED IT. IT WILL INSPIRE SO, SO MANY. >> I LOVE IT. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU. >> SO AGAIN THE MEMOIR, "LOVELY ONE." IT'S OUT TODAY. TODAY.COM/BOOKS OR WHENEVER BOOKS ARE