Here’s What Some Key African American Leaders Are Saying ABout The Supreme Court Vacancy

With flags around the nation at half staff in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and millions of Americans mourning the passing of the legal trailblazer, the country moved closer to one of the most consequential presidential elections in modern history made even more so by an open Supreme Court vacancy.

President Trump has said he will announce a woman as the nominee to fill Ginburg’s vacancy, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is planning a vote on the floor which he announced late on the evening Ginsburg died from mestastic pancreatic cancer.

In the past 24 hours Republicans and Democrats have laid out the epic battle expected over the Supreme Court. Democrats are still sore over the 2016 Republican blockade of President Barack Obama’s opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court Justice after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. McConnell stalled the process for 10 months, preventing Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, from moving forward to a confirmation hearing. And, when Donald Trump became President, he moved quickly on January 31, 2017 to nominate Neil Gorsuch for the high court who was confirmed by the Senate

Blatant disregard for fair play

In his statement on Ginburg’s passing, the 44th President wrote, “A basic principle of the law — and of everyday fairness — is that we apply rules with consistency, and not based on what’s convenient or advantageous in the moment.”

Obama’s words and even the late Justice’s dying wish that her seat by filled after the election have not swayed Republicans who control the Senate. 

With less than 50 days until the election, presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, recognize the significance of Ginburg’s death and its potential to motivate voters to the polls especially Democrats who will rally around the apparent hyprocrisy demonstrated by Republicans who refused to consider Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.

The fight for the confirmation will be waged in the Senate where Harris and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker are the only two Democratic African American Senators (the third is Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina). Booker paid his respects to Ginsburg on Twitter, saying Americans owed her a great debt but did not discuss the political talk surrounding a replacement. 

And, NAACP President Derrick Johnson connected Ginsburg’s commitment to civil rights to that of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.

And, whether that fight happens on November 3 or before, Americans seem ready to engage.