Biden, Harris attend Brown's investiture ceremony to Supreme Court

Sept. 30 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris attended the formal investiture ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday.

Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court, has been taking part in court activities since June when she was officially sworn in. Friday's event was a formality.

Jackson replaces Justice Stephen Breyer, who retired from the court after serving since 1994. Her presence does not change the ideological makeup of the court, where conservatives have a 6-3 advantage.

In the brief ceremony, Chief Justice John Roberts administered Jackson the judicial oath. Jackson said, according to The New York Times, that she would "administer justice without respect to persons and do equal right to the poor and to the rich."

It marks the first time two African Americans have served on the Supreme Court at the same time. Conservative Clarence Thomas was appointed by George Bush in 1991. She is just the third Black justice to serve on the court. Thurgood Marshall served from 1967 to 1991.

Jackson's appointment fulfilled a campaign promise made by Biden to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. She served as a U.S. district judge from 2013 to 2021 before replacing Attorney General Merrick Garland on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. in 2021.