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Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered her opening remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing on Monday, March 21. The federal judge dedicated a section of her statement to her family and friends during the address.
She introduced her husband Patrick Jackson and thanked him for supporting her throughout her journey:
“Speaking of unconditional love, I'd like to introduce you to my husband of 25 years, Dr. Patrick Jackson. I have no doubt that without him by my side from the very beginning of this incredible professional journey, none of this would have been possible.”
The 51-year-old also shared that she met Patrick in college more than 30 years ago and referred to him as the best husband, father, and friend:
"We met in college more than three decades ago, and since then, he's been the best husband, father, and friend I could ever imagine. Patrick, I love you."
Jackson’s remarks left her husband emotional as he was seen tearing up and wiping his eyes while sitting behind his wife. The Supreme Court nominee also addressed her daughters Leila and Talia during her speech:
“Girls, I know it has not been easy, as I've tried to navigate the challenges of juggling my career and motherhood. And I fully admit that I did not always get the balance right. But I hope that you've seen that with hard work, determination, and love, it can be done.”
She remembered her parents and thanked them for teaching her that she could do anything or be anything she wanted if she worked hard and believed in herself.
Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing will continue to occur over the next few days throughout the week. If confirmed, she will create history by becoming the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Everything about Ketanji Brown Jackson’s husband, Patrick Jackson
Patrick Graves Jackson is a gastrointestinal surgeon who serves as the chief of gastrointestinal surgery at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. He is also an associate professor of surgery at Georgetown University.
According to his online bio, Patrick specializes in different surgical areas, including abdominal wall reconstruction, gastroesophageal reflux surgery, cholecystectomy, and hernia surgeries, among others.
Patrick completed his medical studies at Columbia University in 1995. He also attended Massachusetts General Hospital for his fellowship and residency program and earned his board certification from the American Board of Surgery.
As per the Miami Herald, Patrick met Ketanji Brown Jackson during their time at Harvard College. The pair reportedly got married in 1996. Jackson opened up about her husband during a 2017 speech at the University of Georgia law school and said that he was a “quintessential 'Boston Brahmin":
“His family can be traced back to England before the Mayflower... He and his twin brother are, in fact, the sixth generation in their family to graduate from Harvard College.”
Federal Judge Patti Saris, who hired Ketanji Brown Jackson as a law clerk, told NPR that Patrick was primarily fascinated by his wife's work and often visited the courtroom after finishing his hospital shift as a surgical resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A look into Ketanji Brown Jackson’s family
Ketanji Brown Jackson was born to Ellery and Johnny Brown on September 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C. Her mother was the principal of the New World School of the Arts and her father worked as a lawyer before becoming the chief attorney for the Miami-Dade County School Board.
Politico reported that both of Jackson’s parents attended segregated primary schools and HBCUs before rising through the ranks of the Miami-Dade Public School system.
During a 2020 speech at the University of Michigan on Martin Luther King Day, Jackson said that her parents used to keep a copy of Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism by civil rights activist Derrick Bell on their coffee table for several years.
The federal judge also revealed that as a child, it was difficult for her to “reconcile the image” of the smiling person on the cover with the “depressing message that the title and subtitle conveyed.”
Jackson’s uncle Thomas Brown Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent cocaine conviction during her college days. The former convinced a law firm to look into his case as a pro bono.
Thomas Brown Jr’s sentence was eventually commuted by former U.S. President Barack Obama. Another of Jackson’s uncle, Calvin Ross, worked as a police chief in the Miami Police Department.
Ketanji Brown Jackson met her husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, while she was studying at Harvard and married him in 1996. The couple also shares two daughters, Talia (21) and Leila (17).
Jackson is related to former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan through her wedding to Patrick. Her brother-in-law, Patrick’s twin brother William Jackson, is married to Dana Little Jackson, the sister of Paul Ryan.
