Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson To Discuss Memoir Lovely One at The Apollo on Tuesday, September 3
The Apollo is proud to host an exciting evening with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, as she unveils her deeply personal memoir, Lovely One, on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 7:30PM EDT. In Conversation: Kentanji Brown Jackson promises to celebrate courage, resilience, and achievement, offering attendees a unique opportunity to witness history in the making.
In Lovely One, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson unveils the captivating narrative of her remarkable journey—from her upbringing in Washington, D.C., and Miami, Florida, to her historic appointment to the highest court in the land. Named after the Yoruba phrase for "Lovely One," inspired by her aunt’s Peace Corps experience in West Africa, Justice Jackson’s memoir transcends mere biography, offering a poignant reflection on identity, justice, and the pursuit of excellence in the face of adversity.
Attendees will have the opportunity to secure signed copies of Lovely One alongside their tickets, available through the Book + Ticket package. In Conversation: Ketanji Brown Jackson is part of The Apollo’s Fall/Winter 2024 season, continuing its legacy of hosting impactful cultural conversations and performances on its iconic stages.
About Lovely One
In her inspiring, intimate memoir, the first Black woman to ever be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States chronicles her extraordinary life story. With this unflinching account, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson invites readers into her life and world, tracing her family’s ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America’s highest court within the span of one generation.
Named “Ketanji Onyika,” meaning “Lovely One,” based on a suggestion from her aunt, a Peace Corps worker stationed in West Africa, Justice Jackson learned from her educator parents to take pride in her heritage since birth. Here, Justice Jackson pulls back the curtain, marrying the public record of her life with what is less known. She reveals what it takes to advance in the legal profession when most people in power don’t look like you, and to reconcile a demanding career with the joys and sacrifices of marriage and motherhood. Through trials and triumphs, Justice Jackson’s journey will resonate with dreamers everywhere, especially those who nourish outsized ambitions and refuse to be turned aside. This moving, openhearted tale will spread hope for a more just world, for generations to come.
About The Apollo’s In Conversation Series
The Apollo’s In Conversation series amplifies the voices of artists and thought leaders and explores the African American and African diasporic narrative. Past In Conversation artists and panels have included Joy Ann Reid, Rachel Maddow, Fat Joe, John Legend, Black Thought, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Oprah Winfrey, Chadwick Boseman, Edward Enninful, Lupita Nyong’o and more.
About Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Miami, Florida. She received her undergraduate and law degrees, both with honors, from Harvard University, then served as a law clerk for three federal judges, including Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson subsequently practiced law in the private sector, worked as an attorney and later as Vice Chair and Commissioner of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and served as an assistant federal public defender. In 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021, Jackson made history in 2022 when President Joseph Biden nominated her as an Associate Justice. The first Black woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, she took her seat on June 30, 2022.
About The Apollo
The Apollo is an American cultural treasure. It is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. It has also been a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. Today, The Apollo is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity.
The Apollo is a commissioner and presenter; catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.
The Apollo envisions a new American canon centered on contributions to the performing arts by artists of the African diaspora, in America and beyond.
