>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH,
MR. PRESIDENT.
IT IS THE GREATEST HONOR OF MY
LIFE TO BE HERE WITH YOU AT THIS
MOMENT, STANDING BEFORE MY
WONDERFUL FAMILY, MANY OF MY
CLOSE FRIENDS, YOUR
DISTINGUISHED STAFF AND GUESTS
AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
OVER THESE PAST FEW WEEKS YOU’VE
HEARD A LOT FROM ME AND ABOUT
ME, SO I HOPE TO USE THIS TIME
PRIMARILY TO DO SOMETHING THAT I
HAVE NOT HAD SUFFICIENT TIME TO
DO, WHICH IS TO EXTEND MY
HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE MANY,
MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED ME
AS PART OF THIS INCREDIBLE
JOURNEY.
I HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TO
THANK AND AS I’M SURE YOU CAN
IMAGINE, IN THIS MOMENT IT IS
HARD TO FIND THE WORDS TO
EXPRESS THE DEPTH OF MY
GRATITUDE.
FIRST, AS ALWAYS, I HAVE TO GIVE
THANKS TO GOD FOR DELIVERING ME
AS PROMISED.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND FOR SUSTAINING ME THROUGHOUT
THIS NOMINATION AND CONFIRMATION
PROCESS.
AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET, I HAVE
COME THIS FAR BY FAITH, AND I
KNOW THAT I AM TRULY BLESSED.
TO THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE
LIFTED ME UP IN PRAYER SINCE THE
NOMINATION, THANK YOU.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL.
THANK YOU AS WELL,
MR. PRESIDENT, FOR BELIEVING IN
ME AND FOR HONORING ME WITH THIS
EXTRAORDINARY CHANCE TO SERVE
OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU ALSO, MADAM VICE
PRESIDENT, FOR YOUR WISE COUNSEL
AND STEADY GUIDANCE AND THANK
YOU TO THE FIRST LADY AND THE
SECOND GENTLEMAN FOR THE CARE
AND WARMTH THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN
ME AND MY FAMILY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND MY
THANKS TO EACH MEMBER OF THE
SENATE.
YOU HAVE FULFILLED THE IMPORTANT
CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF PROVIDING
ADVICE AND CONSENT UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP OF MAJORITY LEADER
SCHUMER, AND I’M ESPECIALLY
GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE UNDER CHAIRMAN
DURBIN’S SKILLFUL LEADERSHIP.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD DURING THE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS, I HAD THE
DISTINCT HONOR OF HAVING 95
PERSONAL MEETINGS WITH 97
SITTING SENATORS.
AND WE HAD SUBSTANTIVE AND
ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MY
APPROACH TO JUDGING AND ABOUT
THE ROLE OF JUDGES IN THE
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM WE ALL
LOVE.
AS A BRIEF ASIDE, I WILL NOTE
THAT THESE ARE SUBJECTS ABOUT
WHICH I CARE DEEPLY.
I HAVE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO
PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE I LOVE
THIS COUNTRY AND OUR
CONSTITUTION AND THE RIGHTS THAT
MAKE US FREE.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND FROM MY MANY
YEARS OF PRACTICE AS A LEGAL
ADVOCATE, AS A TRIAL JUDGE, AND
AS A JUDGE ON THE COURT OF
APPEALS THAT PART OF THE GENIUS
OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
OF THE UNITED STATES IS ITS
DESIGN AND THAT THE FRAMERS
ENTRUSTED THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
WITH THE CRUCIAL BUT LIMITED
ROLE.
I’VE ALSO SPENT THE BETTER PART
OF THE PAST DECADE HEARING
THOUSANDS OF CASES AND WRITING
HUNDREDS OF OPINIONS AND IN
EVERY INSTANCE I HAVE DONE MY
LEVEL BEST TO STAY IN MY LANE
AND TO REACH A RESULT THAT IS
CONSISTENT WITH MY UNDERSTANDING
OF THE LAW AND WITH THE
OBLIGATION TO RULE INDEPENDENTLY
WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR.
I AM HUMBLED AND HONORED TO
CONTINUE IN THIS FASHION AS AN
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME
COURT OF THE UNITED STATES,
WORKING WITH BRILLIANT
COLLEAGUES, SUPPORTING AND
DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION AND
STEADFASTLY UPHOLDING THE RULE
OF LAW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
BUT TODAY AT THIS PODIUM MY
MISSION IS FAR MORE MODEST.
I’M SIMPLY HERE TO GIVE ME
HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE
CATEGORIES OF FOLKS WHO ARE
LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ME BEING
HERE AT THIS MOMENT.
FIRST, OF COURSE, THERE IS MY
FAMILY.
MOM AND DAD, THANK YOU, NOT ONLY
FOR TRAVELING BACK HERE ON WHAT
SEEMS LIKE A MOMENT’S NOTICE BUT
FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE AND
CONTINUE TO DO FOR ME.
MY BROTHER KETAG IS HERE AS
WELL.
YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN A MODEL OF
PUBLIC SERVICE AND BRAVERY AND I
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
TO MY IN-LAWS, PAMELA AND GARDNER AND JACKSON WHO ARE HERE
TODAY AND MY SISTERS-IN-LAW,
BROTHERS-IN-LAW, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT.
TO MY DAUGHTERS, TALA AND LEYLA,
I BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D
GET TO SKIP SCHOOL BY SPENDING A
DAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
THIS IS ALL PRETTY EXCITING FOR
ME AS WELL BUT NOTHING HAS
BROUGHT ME GREATER JOY THAN
BEING YOUR MOTHER.
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
PATRICK, THANK YOU FOR
EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE FOR ME
OVER THESE PAST 25 YEARS OF OUR
MARRIAGE.
YOU’VE DONE EVERYTHING TO
SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE ME AND IT
IS YOU WHO HAS MADE THIS MOMENT
POSSIBLE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
YOUR STEADFAST LOVE GAVE ME THE
COURAGE TO MOVE IN THIS
DIRECTION.
I DON’T KNOW THAT I BELIEVED YOU WHEN YOU SAID THAT I COULD DO
THIS BUT NOW I DO.
AND FOR THAT I’M FOREVER
GRATEFUL.
IN THE FAMILY CATEGORY, LET ME
ALSO BRIEFLY MENTION THE HUGE
EXTENDED FAMILY, BOTH PATRICK’S
AND MY OWN WHO ARE WATCHING THIS
FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND
THE WORLD, THANK YOU FOR
SUPPORTING ME.
I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT
WITH THE PERSONALLY IN THE
COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS.
MOVING ON BRIEFLY TO THE SECOND
CATEGORY OF PEOPLE THAT WARRANT
SPECIAL RECOGNITION, THOSE WHO
PROVIDED INVALUABLE SUPPORT TO
ME PROFESSIONALLY IN THE DECADES
PRIOR TO MY NOMINATION AND THE
MANY, MANY FRIENDS I HAVE BEEN
PRIVILEGED TO MAKE THROUGHOUT MY
LIFE AND CAREER.
NOW, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE WHO
FINDS PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS
THINKS THEY HAVE THE BEST
MENTORS, BUT I TRULY DO.
I HAD THREE INSPIRING JURISTS
FOR WHOM I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CLERKING, JUDGE PATTY SARIS,
JUDGE BRUCE SELLIAYA AND JUST
STEPHEN BREYER.
EACH IS AN EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC
SERVANT AND I COULD NOT HAVE HAD
BETTER ROLE MODELS IN HONOR,
INTEGRITY, PRINCIPLE, BOTH BY
WORD AND DEED.
MY WORK WITH JUSTICE BREYER IN
PARTICULAR WAS A PARTICULARLY
EXTRAORDINARY GIFT.
JUSTICE BREYER’S COMMITMENT TO
AN INDEPENDENT, IMPARTIAL
JUDICIARY IS UNFLAGGING AND FOR
HIM, THE RULE OF LAW IS NOT
MERELY A DUTY, IT IS HIS
PASSION.
I AM DAUNTED BY THE PROSPECT OF
HAVING TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOT
STEPS AND I WOULD COUNT MYSELF
LUCKY INDEED TO BE ABLE TO DO SO
WITH EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF
HIS WISDOM, GRACE AND JOY.
THE EXCEPTIONAL MENTORSHIP OF
THE JUDGES FOR WHOM I’VE WORKED
HAS PROVEN ESPECIALLY
SIGNIFICANT FOR ME DURING THIS
PAST DECADE OF MY SERVICE AS A
FEDERAL JUDGE.
AND OF COURSE THAT SERVICE
ITSELF HAS BEEN A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY.
FOR THAT I MUST ALSO THANK
PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHO PUT HIS
FAITH IN ME BY NOMINATING ME TO
MY FIRST JUDICIAL ROLE ON THE
FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT.
THIS BRINGS ME TO MY COLLEAGUES
AND STAFF OF THE FEDERAL
DISTRICT COURT IN WASHINGTON,
D.C. AND THE D.C. CIRCUIT.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR WISDOM
AND BATTLE TESTED FRIENDSHIP
THROUGH THE YEARS AND I WANT TO,
TEND A SPECIAL THANKS FOR ALL OF
MY LAW CLERKS, MANY OF WHOM ARE
HE TODAY, WHO HAVE CARVED OUT
TIME AND SPACE TO ACCOMPANY ME
ON THIS SPECIAL JOURNEY.
I’M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO
JENNIFER GRUDA, WHO HAS BEEN BY
MY SIDE SINCE NEARLY THE OUTSET
OF MY TIME ON THIS BENCH AND HAS
PROMISED NOT TO LEAVE ME AS WE
TAKE THIS LAST BIG STEP.
TO THE MANY OTHER FRIENDS THAT I
HAVE HAD THE GREAT GOOD FORTUNE
TO HAVE MADE THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS, FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD
GROWING UP, FROM MIAMI PALMETTO
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND
ESPECIALLY THE DEBATE TEAM, FROM
MY DAYS AT HARVARD COLLEGE WHERE
I MET MY BELOVED ROOMMATES LISA
FAIRFAX, NINA COLEMAN SIMMONS
AND ANTOINETTE COAKLEY, THEY ARE
TRULY MY SISTERS.
TO MY TIME AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
AND THE MANY EXPERIENCES I’VE
BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE SINCE
GRADUATION.
THANK YOU.
I HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS TO NAME
BUT PLEASE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU’VE
MEANT TO ME AND HOW MUCH I HAVE
APPRECIATED THE SMILES, THE HUGS
AND THE MANY ATTA GIRLS THAT
HAVE PROPELLED ME FORWARD TO
THIS DAY.
FINALLY, I’D LIKE TO GIVE
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WHITE
HOUSE STAFF AND THE SPECIAL
ASSISTANTS WHO PROVIDED
INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE IN HELPING
ME TO NAVIGATE THE CONFIRMATION
PROCESS. MY TRUSTED SHERPA SENATOR DOUG
JONES WAS AN ABSOLUTE GOD SEND.
[ APPLAUSE ]
HE WAS AN ABSOLUTE GOD SEND.
HE’S NOT ONLY THE BEST
STORYTELLER YOU’D EVER WANT TO
MEET BUT ALSO UNBELIEVABLY
POPULAR ON THE HILL, WHICH
HELPED A LOT.
I’M ALSO STANDING HERE TODAY IN
NO SMALL PART DUE TO THE HARD
WORK OF THE BRILLIANT FOLKS WHO
INTERACT WITH THE LEGISLATURE
AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON BEHALF OF THE WHITE HOUSE, INCLUDING
LOUISA TERRELL, TONIA BOYD AND ANDREW GATES.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
I AM ALSO PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE AWE-I SPIRING LEADERSHIP
OF WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL DANA
REEMIS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
OF PAGE HERWIG.
WHERE IS PAGE?
AND RON CLAINE. THEY LED AN STOREDEXTRAORDINARIL
OF WHITE HOUSE STAFFERS IN THE
HERK
HERCULEAN PROCESS.
THANK YOU AS WELL TO THE MANY,
MANY KIND-HEARTED PEOPLE ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY AROUND AROUND THE
WORLD WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME
DIRECTLY IN RECENT WEEKS WITH
MESSAGES OF SUPPORT.
I HAVE SPENT YEARS TOILING AWAY
IN THE RELATIVE SOLITUDE OF MY
CHAMBERS WITH JUST MY LAW CLERKS
IN ISOLATION SO IT’S BEEN
SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMING IN A GOOD
WAY TO RECENTLY BE FLOODED WITH
THOUSANDS OF NOTES AND CARDS AND
PHOTOS EXPRESSING JUST HOW MUCH
THIS MOMENT MEANS TO SO MANY
PEOPLE.
THE NOTES THAT I’VE RECEIVED
FROM CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY
CUTE AND ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL.
BECAUSE MORE THAN ANYTHING THEY
SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE HOPE AND
PROMISE OF AMERICA.
IT HAS TAKEN 232 YEARS AND 115
PRIOR APPOINTMENTS FOR A BLACK
WOMAN TO BE SELECTED TO SERVE ON
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
BUT WE’VE MADE IT.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] WE’VE MADE IT, ALL OF US.
ALL OF US.
AND OUR CHILDRE ARE TELLING ME
THAT THEY SEE NOW MORE THAN EVER
THAT HERE IN AMERICA ANYTHING IS
POSSIBLE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THEY ALSO TELL ME THAT I’M A
ROLE MODEL, WHICH I TAKE BOTH AS
AN OPPORTUNITY AND AS A HUGE
RESPONSIBILITY.
I AM FEELING UP TO THE TASK
PRIMARILY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I
AM NOT ALONE.
I AM STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS
OF MY OWN ROLE MODELS,
GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS WHO
NEVER HAD ANYTHING CLOSE TO THIS
KIND OF OPPORTUNITY BUT WHO GOT
UP EVERY DAY AND WENT TO WORK
BELIEVING IN THE PROMISE OF
AMERICA, SHOWING OTHERS THROUGH
THEIR DETERMINATION AND, YES,
THEIR PERSEVERANCE THAT GOOD,
GOOD THINGS CAN BE DONE IN THIS
GREAT COUNTRY.
FROM MY GRANDPARENTS ON BOTH
SIDES WITH ONLY A GRADE SCHOOL
EDUCATION BUT INSTILLED IN MY
PARENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF
LEARNING.
TO MY PARENTS WHO WENT TO
RACIALLY SEGREGATED SCHOOLS
GROWING UP AND WERE THE FIRST IN
THEIR FAMILIES TO HAVE THE
CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE.
I AM ALSO EVER BUOYED BY THE
LEADERSHIP OF GENERATIONS PAST
WHO HELPED TO LIGHT THE WAY,
BACK TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHAL AND MY
PERSONAL HEREOINE JUST CONSTANCE
BAKER-MOTLEY.
THEY AND SO MANY OTHERS DID THE
HEAVY LIFTING THAT MADE THIS DAY
POSSIBLE.
AND FOR ALL OF THE TALK OF THIS
HISTORIC NOMINATION AND NOW
CONFIRMATION, I THINK OF THEM AS
THE TRUE PATH BREAKERS.
I AM JUST THE VERY LUCKY FIRST INHERITER OF THE DREAM OF
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ APPLAUSE ]
TO BE SURE, I HAVE WORKED HARD
TO GET TO THIS POINT IN MY
CAREER AND I HAVE NOW ACHIEVED
SOMETHING FAR BEYOND ANYTHING MY
GRANDPARENTS COULD HAVE POSSIBLY
EVER IMAGINED, BUT NO ONE DOES
THIS ON THEIR OWN.
THE PATH WAS CLEARED FOR ME SO
THAT I MIGHT RISE TO THIS
OCCASION AND IN THE POETIC WORDS
OF DR. MAYA ANGELOU, I DO SO NOW
WHILE BRINGING THE GIFTS MY
ANCESTORS GAVE.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] I AM THE DREAM AND THE HOPE OF
THE SLAVE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
SO AS I TAKE ON THIS NEW ROLE, I
STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A
MOMENT IN WHICH ALL AMERICANS
CAN TAKE GREAT PRIDE.
WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY TOWARD
PERFECTING OUR UNION.
IN MY FAMILY IT TOOK JUST ONE
GENERATION TO GO FROM SEGREGATION TO THE SUPREME COURT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND IT IS AN HONOR, THE HONOR OF
A LIFETIME FOR ME TO HAVE THIS
CHANCE TO JOIN THE COURT, TO
PROMOTE THE RULE OF LAW AT THE
HIGHEST LEVEL AND TO DO MY PART
TO CARRY OUR SHARED PROJECT OF
DEMOCRACY AND EQUAL JUSTICE
UNDER LAW FORWARD INTO THE
FUTURE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT
AND MEMBERS OF THE SENATE FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]