新泽西的参议员科里·布克在1997年的第三天发表了慷慨激昂的演说凯坦吉·布朗·杰克逊最高法院周三的确认听证会。
当杰克逊拭去泪水时，布克为杰克逊获得历史性的提名，成为美国最高法院的第一位黑人女性以及她的成功之路而鼓掌。
布克说:“你可以看到美国所有成功的黑人女性是如何做到的，就像金格尔·罗杰斯一样:‘弗雷德·阿斯泰尔做的事我都做了，就是没有穿高跟鞋后退。’”
尽管有一长串的资历，杰克逊还是面临着共和党人接二连三的质疑，他们试图给她的记录贴上“对犯罪手软”或坚定的自由主义激进主义的标签。一些共和党人不断打断杰克逊对他们问题的回答，或者大声反对她的确认或资格。南卡罗来纳州参议员林赛·格雷厄姆(Lindsey Graham)愤然退出听证会，阿肯色州参议员汤姆·科顿(Tom Cotton)在质询期间称她为骗子。
布克在演讲中表示，针对一名黑人女性的严厉质疑并不令人震惊。
伊丽莎白·弗兰茨/路透社
科里·布克参议员在美国参议院司法委员会会议的第三天发表讲话.
布克说:“我很难不看着你，就看不到我的妈妈，就看不到我的堂兄妹——他们中的一个不得不来到这里，坐在你的后面。”“她必须支持你。我看到我的祖先和你的。”
布克在他的演讲中说:“没有人会偷走这种快乐。”“没人能把这个从我身边拿走。”
一些人在网上庆祝布克的演讲，包括特雷西·马天如的《黑色快乐:反抗、恢复和重建的故事》的作者路易斯·吉格茨
“看着布克在那个空间表达黑人的喜悦，感觉就像是对所有时代的肯定，面对种族主义和白人至上主义制度，我们都不得不大笑或跳舞或大声呼喊，”刘易斯-吉格茨告诉美国广播公司新闻。“即使在明显的种族主义和种族主义的狗哨声中，布克也可以看着布朗-杰克逊法官的脸，看到排在她面前的长长的黑人队伍，并与她一起欢呼。”
她说，这感觉就像是一个提醒，无论什么样的压迫制度告诉他们，“我们是有价值的。”
四月统治，前律师和现在的种族正义活动家，共同创立了倡导组织，她将崛起，努力让一名黑人妇女在最高法院。她说黑人女性对杰克逊面临的障碍和待遇并不陌生。
“不幸的是，这些袭击对我和这个国家的数百万黑人女性来说非常熟悉，她们不得不保持沉默，凝视着，忍受没有任何人代表我们说话，”雷因说。“作为黑人女性，我们肩负着这个国家。听到布克参议员承认这一点，并提醒布朗·杰克逊法官和我们所有人，快乐会在早晨到来，这令人欣慰。”
她说，她将永远感激有一个黑人男子站在这样一个权力的位置上，为杰克逊和世界各地的黑人妇女挺身而出。
布克在演讲结束时称杰克逊是他的“希望的先驱”
他继续说道:“这个国家越来越好，越来越好。当最后的投票发生时，你被送上这个国家的最高法院，我会很高兴。”
"世界上最伟大的国家美利坚合众国将因为你而变得更加美好."
Cory Booker delivers impassioned speech at Ketanji Brown Jackson hearing
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker delivered an impassioned speech on the third day ofKetanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Courtconfirmation hearings Wednesday.
As Jackson wiped away tears, Booker applauded Jackson for her historic nomination to become the first Black woman on the nation's highest court and her path to getting there.
"You got here how every Black woman in America who's gotten anywhere has done, by being like Ginger Rogers: 'I did everything Fred Astaire did but backward, in heels,'" Booker said.
Despite a long list of credentials, Jackson has faced a barrage of questions from Republicans trying to brand her record as "soft on crime" or entrenched in liberal activism. Some Republicans continuously interrupted Jackson's responses to their questions or yelled in their arguments against her confirmation or credentials. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham stormed out of the hearing and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton called her a liar during their questioning.
In his speech, Booker said the harsh line of questioning against a Black woman didn't come as a shock.
"It's hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my cousins -- one of them who had to come here and sit behind you," Booker said. "She had to have your back. I see my ancestors and yours."
"Nobody's gonna steal that joy," Booker said in his speech. "Nobody's taking this away from me."
Some online celebrated Booker's speech, including Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts, the author of, "Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration."
"Watching Booker express Black joy, in that space, felt like an affirmation for all the times we've all had to laugh or dance or cry out in exaltation in the face of racism and white supremacist systems," Lewis-Giggetts told ABC News. "Even in the midst of clear racism and racist dog whistles, Booker could look into the face of Judge Brown-Jackson, see the long line of Black people who came before her, and rejoice with her."
She said it felt like a reminder that no matter what systems of oppression tell them, "we are worthy and valuable."
April Reign, a former lawyer and now racial justice activist, co-founded the advocacy organization She Will Rise in an effort to get a Black woman on the Supreme Court. She says Black women are no stranger to the barriers and treatment that Jackson is facing.
"These attacks, unfortunately, feel very familiar to me and millions of Black Women in this country, who have had to hold our tongue, steady our gaze, and endure without anyone speaking up on our behalf," Reign said. "As Black women, we have carried this country on our backs. It was gratifying to hear Sen. Booker acknowledge that, and remind Judge Brown Jackson, and all of us, that joy cometh in the morning."
She said she will be forever grateful that there was a Black man in such a position of power to stand up for Jackson and Black women everywhere.
Booker ended his speech by calling Jackson his "harbinger of hope."
He continued: "This country is getting better and better and better. When that final vote happens, and you were sent on to the highest court in the land I'm going to rejoice."
"The greatest country in the world the United States of America will be better because of you."
