Justice Jackson Wraps Her Book Tour in Philly. Philly Showed Out.

The sanctuary of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church felt more like a festive Sunday morning than a Saturday early evening. Spirits were high as excitement and joy filled the air of the largest Black church in Philadelphia. It was a history-making day, not just for the congregants of the house of worship, but for the community, and for the city.

A sitting Supreme Court Justice was coming, the newest to hold the title, the history maker in her own right, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. In the pews local officials and members of their staff, judges and lawyers, members of Justice Jackson’s Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and parents bringing their children to be part of such a momentous occasion.

Justice Jackson was on the final stop of her book tour for her memoir, Lovely One, choosing to close out the tour in the City of Brotherly Love. And Philly showed out. Hosted by Uncle Bobbies Coffee and Books, the sold-out event stopped just shy of maxing out the five thousand-seater sanctuary, the biggest stop of the tour.

Following remarks from Marc Lamont Hill, owner of Uncle Bobbies, and Reverend Alyn E. Waller, Pastor of Enon Tabernacle, it was revealed that Justice Jackson had her own Philly connection in her friendship with Tamala Edwards, the beloved 6ABC News anchor.

Interviewed by her friend of three decades, Justice Jackson captivated the room with her stories. She harkened back to her first inspirations for pursuing law, her father as he studied to become a lawyer, and revered judge Constance Baker Motley. “I had been interested in the law because of my dad, but here was a woman who was a judge,” Jackson said. “I thought maybe I could be a judge.”

She regaled the audience with her memories; memories of combatting fear at an early age, memories of learning to respect everyone, regardless of their identity or educational backgrounds, memories of marriage, motherhood, and managing to make it all work. An hour of storytelling flew by in mere moments, so warm and inviting, that it felt more intimate than the thousands who gathered to listen. While Justice Jackson’s life is remarkable, how she tells it makes it absolutely relatable.

Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson has a story to tell. Philly was certainly in the building to listen.