PRES. BIDEN WITH NEWLY CONFIRMED JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
NC REACTIONS TO CONFIRMATION
OF “JUSTICE” KETANJI JACKSON?
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
With Pres. Biden and Vice President. Kamala Harris standing at her side outside of the White House Friday, newly confirmed U.S. Supreme Court "Justice" Ketanji Brown Jackson proudly shared her glee with the world.
"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, an elected "Justice" Jackson said.
"But we've made it. We've made it, all of us."
“This is a powerful moment that signals progress for our country, and my congratulations are with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will bring an important voice to the Supreme Court,” exclaimed former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, now running for the U.S. Senate, last Thursday in the aftermath of the dramatic U.S. Senate confirmation of now "Justice" Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But what happens next?
For all intents and purposes, the first Black woman ever confirmed to the nation’s highest court can either continue to serve on the District of Columbia’s U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals until the justice she’s replacing, Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, steps down at the end of the Supreme Court term in late June/early July, or “Justice” Jackson can take the next few months off until the Breyer seat becomes open, and she's sworn in.
Either way, Pres. Biden’s historic nominee was confirmed last week with all 50 Democratic senators voting “yea,” and three moderate Republican senators - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah - joining them.
That didn’t stop their 47 Republican colleagues, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KTY) from displaying little respect for “Justice” Jackson after the confirmation vote, walking out of the chamber during the applause from Democrat and supporters.
Both North Carolina GOP senators - Thom Tillis and Richard Burr- walked with them after also voting no.
Two other Republican senators - Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, wouldn’t even vote from the Senate floor because of inappropriate attire and tardiness.
Still, top North Carolinians joined the rest of the nation in hailing the confirmation of “Justice” Ketanji Brown Jackson.
“Today is a historic and joyful day for our country and for North Carolina. Justice Jackson is a brilliant legal mind with the utmost character and integrity,” said N.C. Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson. “She will make an exceptional Supreme Court Justice and has made history as the first Black woman on the highest court.
“I am also proud that Judge Jackson, as the first Black woman and the first public defender to serve on the highest court in the land, will be an inspiration to young people of all backgrounds that with hard work, dedication to service, and compassion for others, there are no limits to what a person can achieve in our great country,” said Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1).
“Justice Jackson is yet another example of the role Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in the social and economic mobility of Black Americans, " added Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12). "Both of Jackson’s parents attended HBCUs, including North Carolina Central University, creating the opportunity for their daughter to attend Harvard. Now, for the first time, a daughter of HBCU graduates is joining the Supreme Court. I join millions of Americans in sharing in the pride that Justice Jackson’s parents feel today.”
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UNC BOARD RAISES CAP
FOR OUT-OF-STATE
HBCU ADMISSIONS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Three of the UNC System’s five historically Black colleges and universities have had their out-of -state student admissions caps raised by the UNC Board of Governors.
The caps at N.C. A&T University and North Carolina Central University were raised from 25% each to 35% , and to 50% at Elizabeth City State University on April 7th, starting the following semester year.
The caps at Fayetteville State University and Winston-Salem State University will remain at 25%..
The reason is simple. HBCUs have been lobbying for the ability to attract more talented students from across the nation to their campuses for a long time. Raising the caps allows each school to build their enrollments, which is key to their success.
NCCU, for example, experienced a 1% enrollment drop-off in fall 2021, and is hoping to course correct with the new cap.
The out-of-state cap at most other UNC System schools is maintained at 18% in order to ensure that North Carolinians who qualify to attend to the UNC school of their choice are able to do so.
By raising the caps at N.C. A&T, NCCU and ECSU, the UNC Board of Governors hope that out-of-state students (who usually have higher GPAs) will stay in the state after graduation, adding to the skilled and highly educated talent pool that incoming industries like Apple Computer are looking for.
All of this is happening as North Carolina’s HBCUs are experiencing a post-pandemic renaissance. Many have received record financial gifts for their programs and curricula. Others are experiencing unprecedented growth.
For example N.C. A&T University in Greensboro - the largest HBCU in the nation - opened the Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex in February - a five-year, 130,000 square foot project that is expected to produce even more Black engineers in the coming years.
In addition, NC A&T University received $5 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott in 2020. That, in addition to the $181.4 million capital campaign the school ran ending in 2021.
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NC APPEALS COURT BLOCKS
EX-FELONS FROM VOTING
AFTER SUPERIOR COURT RULING
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
The celebration was short for over 56,000 ex-felon in North Carolina who hail a recent Superior Court ruling clearing the way for them to vote starting in next moth’s primaries.
The NC Court of Appeals last week issued a temporary stay order of that ruling, blocking any ex-felon who had not completed all required elements of their sentence from registering to vote until the appeal from Republican legislative leaders is resolved.
“The Superior Court has issued an injunction that is plainly irreconcilable with the North Carolina Constitution,” according to the GOP legislators appeal. “Under Article VI, Sec. 2, anyone convicted of a felony may not vote ‘unless that person shall be first restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law.’ The Superior Court held unconstitutional the ‘manner prescribed by law,’ … meaning that felons serving sentences outside of prison now have no lawful means of regaining their voting rights and thus remain disenfranchised.”
Anticipating that an appeal would be granted quickly, the NC Board of Elections instructed local election boards not to accept any new voter registration forms from former felons.
Plaintiffs in the case, Community Success Initiative v. Moore, haven’t wasted much time either.
Last week, they asked the State Supreme Court to take the case from the state appellate court, hoping that if it does, it would overrule the appellate court order.
“Plaintiffs seek discretionary review from this [Supreme] Court given the exceptional importance and urgency of the appeal, and of Legislative Defendants’ Petition for a Writ of Supersedeas, which has the potential to create immense confusion before the May 2022 primary election and cause substantial and irreparable harm,” wrote lead plaintiff’s attorney Daryl Atkinson of Forward Together in his brief submitted to the Supreme Court.
The case, formally known as Community Success Initiative v Moore, was a lawsuit filed in 2019, arguing that North Carolina ’s felony disenfranchisement laws were unconstitutional because they were originally instituted to keep Black people from voting.
The judicial panel voted 2-1 that the 50-year-old law, which made former felons who completed their sentences ineligible to vote, was racist because it made them pay the state fees before they could regain their voting rights.
Plaintiffs in the case won in 2021, only to have the NC Court of Appeals and state Supreme Court temporarily restrict the ruling only to ex-felons who registered to vote between August 23rd through Sept. 3, 2021 in time for the November elections.
That left approximately 56,000 ex-felons legally stranded who couldn’t meet that temporary restriction, until the recent 2-1 three-judge Superior Court panel rule in their favor.
Political observers say Republican legislative leaders want the 50 year-old law enforced in order to keep the 56,000 forms felons off the voting rolls for the November 2022 elections.
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