While the nation is still reeling from a year of political upheaval and so much more, it seems Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson went on a quick side quest to fulfill one of her childhood dreams: to grace the Broadway stage.
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Justice Jackson debuted on Broadway in the musical “& Juliet,” a queer reimagining of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet.” The feat marked yet another example of Jackson making history. She was the first Black female Supreme Court justice, and now, she just became the first justice to appear on Broadway.
“I am SO happy that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson finally got to be the first Black female Supreme Court Justice to appear on a Broadway stage,” @monsieurmoscato wrote on X.
Many online praised Jackson for accomplishing such a goal. X user @Victorshi2020 even called her performance “so cool [and] so refreshing.”
But while some see Jackson’s performance as a beautiful thing, users like @middle_class_us say she went too far. On X, he responded saying “This does nothing to help the American people.”
@RebelHeartErika even called Jackson “a clown and moron” after her performance. The biggest criticism came from haters like @mcm_ct who said Jackson’s actions were “horrendously inappropriate.”
Former SC House of Rep Bakari Sellers hopped on X to defend her after internet hate. He called out critics for being hard on Jackson but not keeping that same energy for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who notoriously always finds himself in hot water.
“Y’all mad at KBJ for living a dream but not mad at Clarence Thomas for being flewed out,” Sellers wrote.
Maybe he has a point, but even then so, many don’t see a real difference between the two justices. In fact, X user @Ellak96 said Jackson’s Broadway debut is just “a different version of hanging out with billionaires.”
User @maxccurrie said everybody should cut Jackson a break because she “lowkey has one of the worst jobs in the world.” Another user, @TheLifeofKay, shared the same sentiment, saying “Ketanji knows what the next 30 years will be for her. Let her have this.”
Right before her Saturday night performance, the justice spoke to “CBS Mornings” to remind everyone that despite her job title, she is still human like everyone else. “I just also think it’s very important to remind people that justices are human beings,” she said. “We have dreams and we are public servants,” Jackson continued.
Many online are still conflicted like user @Slangdini who said “On one hand sure we all have dreams, [but] on the other hand fascism is rising and our Supreme Court justices got side missions.”
In truth, Jackson has spoken about her love for theater many times before, even discussing the topic in her recent memoir. Although she eventually decided to pursue law, the Harvard graduate even once shared a drama class with award-winning actor Matt Damon, she revealed to “CBS Mornings.”
It looks like all her years of acting experience paid off though, because users like @chrisfarleystan say she killed it on stage! “I was completely unprepared for the reality that Ketanji Brown Jackson has impeccable comedic timing and electrifying stage presence,” they wrote.
No matter how you slice it, Jackson seems to be living her best life, and in the words of X user @DaleHarrisProX, “[no matter] what you accomplish or where you are in life, you can always start a side mission.”
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