LOVELY ONE (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG ADULTS)

In this young adult adaptation of her 2024 memoir, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Jackson recounts how her lofty dreams became a reality.

Jackson, whose African first and middle names, Ketanji Onyika, mean “Lovely One,” was raised to trust in and value the transformative power of knowledge. She is the daughter of parents—an educator and a school board attorney—who emphasized the importance of determination and Black cultural pride. Growing up in Miami in the ’70s and ’80s, Jackson balanced academic excellence with personal development, from piano lessons and public speaking to chess club and creative writing. Her path to the nation’s highest tribunal began after she read a magazine article about Constance Baker Motley, a trailblazing civil rights activist who in 1966 became the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge. Motley’s achievements inspired 11-year-old Jackson and guided her goals through high school, Harvard College, Harvard Law School, two federal clerkships, marriage, and parenthood. When she faced challenges, including battling first-year anxieties in college and the mental and physical demands of Big Law culture, Jackson drew upon her resilience. Narrated with resolve, her story spotlights a journey propelled by duty and grit and the navigation of a system that’s inherently stacked against Black women. With clear-eyed authority, Jackson addresses how racism and inequities shaped America’s history; nevertheless, optimism fueled her climb to unprecedented heights.

Self-aware and sincere; a tribute to authenticity, integrity, and faith in a profound vision.