Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Has Joe Biden appointed more Black women as federal appeals court judges than all previous presidents combined?

Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying before Congress

Before being elevated to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson was one of 13 Black women appointed to an appeals court by President Biden.

China News Service/Getty Images

This fact brief was originally published by Wisconsin Watch. Read the original here. Fact briefs are published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network, and republished by The Fulcrum. Visit Gigafact to learn more.

Has Joe Biden appointed more Black women as federal appeals court judges than all previous presidents combined?

Yes.

Thirteen of the twenty-one African-American women who have served on the U.S. Courts of Appeals were nominated by President Joe Biden.

They are Nancy Abudu, DeAndrea Benjamin, Julianna Childs, Tiffany Cunningham, Stephanie Davis, Dana Douglas, Arianna Freeman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, Eunice Lee, Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, Doris Pryor and Holly Thomas.


Biden also nominated Brown Jackson to serve as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The other eight Black, female U.S. appellate judges were appointed by Democratic presidents Jimmy Carter (1); Bill Clinton (3); and Barack Obama (2); and by Republican President George W. Bush (2).

Appellate judges determine whether the law was applied correctly in trial courts.

The appellate judges claim was made May 9, 2024, on Milwaukee talk radio by Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Federal Judicial Center Black female federal appeals court judges

People for the American Way 70 Years Since Brown: Advancing Diversity in the Courts

Defender Services Office President Biden Has Confirmed 150 Federal Judges. 100 Are Women

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

American Presidency Project ICYMI: President Biden Now Has 129 Federal Judges Confirmed – More Than Last 3 Presidents

Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges, 1789-present

101.7 The Truth A.I. Terrorism in Milwaukee! | The Truth Sherwin Hughes

Read More

Advance DEI, do not retreat from it

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Text on Wood Block

Getty Images//Nora Carol Photography

Advance DEI, do not retreat from it

  • President Donald Trump has directed that employees of federal offices focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) be placed on paid administrative leave.

This action is part of a broader initiative led by Elon Musk, who heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has previously criticized DEI initiatives, labeling them as detrimental.

The ongoing debate around DEI laws and programs has seen significant opposition from some Republican leaders, who argue that these initiatives may undermine merit-based systems in hiring and education, particularly for white individuals.

Keep ReadingShow less
One faction in Congress DOES look like America

Senate Chamber Oregon State Capitol.

Getty Images / Powerofforever

One faction in Congress DOES look like America

Congress is often criticized for being “out of touch” with the American public. One biting critique is that Congress just doesn’t “look like” the constituents they represent. Its members are overwhelmingly more male, white, educated, and older than the general U.S. population. And while this holds true for most of Congress, there is one faction where it is not true: Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. House Democrats more closely align with the demographic breakdown in the U.S. than any other party and chamber. There are some disparities—there are almost twice as many Black Democratic House members (25 percent) compared to the 14 percent in the U.S. population. And women are still a minority in the House Democratic Caucus (43 percent). But in other areas, House Democrats closely track America by race and gender. Hispanic and Latino House Democrats are at 17 percent, compared to 19 percent in the U.S. Even the ratio of LGBTQ members of the House is rising—with about five percent among House Democrats compared to seven percent in the U.S.

This is more than just a symbolic exercise. As the Native American saying goes, “Never judge a person until you walk a mile in his moccasins.” When our elected representatives share the living experiences of those they represent, it increases the likelihood they will be responsive to the needs and aspirations of the public. By comparison, House Republicans are woefully overrepresented by men (85 percent), and only one percent are Black and six percent are Latino. After being ousted as Speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy in an interview lamented the sorry state of diversity in the Republican Conference. “I’d just become leader and I’m excited and President Trump’s there. And I look over at the Democrats and they stand up. They look like America,” he said. “We stand up. We look like the most restrictive country club in America.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Bridging Hearts in a Divided America

In preparation for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., security measures have been significantly heightened around the U.S. Capitol and its surroundings on January 18, 2025.

(Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Bridging Hearts in a Divided America

This story is part of the We the Peopleseries, elevating the voices and visibility of the persons most affected by the decisions of elected officials. In this installment, we share the hopes and concerns of people as Donald Trump returns to the White House.

An Arctic blast is gripping the nation’s capital this Inauguration Day, which coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A rare occurrence since this federal holiday was instituted in 1983. Temperatures are in the single digits, and Donald J. Trump is taking the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda instead of being on the steps of the Capitol, making him less visible to his fans who traveled to Washington D.C. for this momentous occasion. What an emblematic scenario for such a unique political moment in history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Memorial outside a school

A memorial for victims of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kirby Lee/Getty Images

A pastoral response to the Madison school shooting

In the lingering aftermath of thetragic shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old student's actions claimed two precious lives and wounded six others, we find ourselves once again gathered at the altar of our collective grief. As a pastor and parent, my heart breaks not just for the lives lost but for a generation of children who have come to know active shooter drills as routinely as they know their morning prayers.

Keep ReadingShow less