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Reflecting on Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Message to Birmingham

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, speaks at the 60th Commemoration of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Pool Photo/Butch Dill)

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, spoke on Friday, September 15 at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham for the 60th anniversary memorial service in honor of the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing at the church.

Though she stressed that she was raised by parents who made sure she knew Alabama’s rich history, Jackson shared that this week marked her first visit to the state.

“I felt in my spirit that I had to come,” she said to us, explaining why she’d decided to make the trip. “I’ve come to Alabama to commemorate and mourn, celebrate and warn,” she said.

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Target Practice

Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.

by Tina Bausinger

The gunshot rips through the air, and I feel it in my chest as it explodes in my ears. There’s a ringing noise clouding my thoughts as I smell the smoke. My hands shake as I nearly drop the gun in the untamed grass.

All I can think is No.

No, I don’t want to fire again.

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7 Things Writers Can Do During the Coronavirus Crisis

This isn’t the post I’d planned to write for today. This isn’t the post I wanted to write for today. To be honest, I wanted to pretend the Coronavirus crisis wasn’t happening— not because I’m a bury my head in the sand kind of girl but because I’m dealing with so much trauma and grief in my personal life right now for reasons that have nothing to do with COVID-19 that the idea of dealing with all that and worrying about a global health pandemic seemed more than I could bear.

But as the founder of See Jane Write it is my responsibility to show up. I’m not a doctor. I’m not an official from the CDC. I can’t answer your questions about the intricacies of Coronavirus. Like you, I’m just out here washing my hands, practicing social distancing as much as possible, and trying not to touch my face. (No, I’m not hoarding toilet paper.) But I can tell you how I think we as writers can try to make the best of a horrible situation.

Here are 7 things writers can do during the Coronavirus crisis.

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