I'm Jonathan K. Parton, welcome to K-PART.

If all goes according to plan, Judge Katangi Brown Jackson will soon become the 116th Justice

of the Supreme Court and its first black woman.

Even though her ascension won't change the ideological dynamic of the high court, Melissa

Murray, the Frederick I and Grace Stokes professor of law at New York University, says,

a Justice Jackson will do something more.

It is going to be hugely consequential to have another black voice that will make clear

that Justice Thomas' voice does not necessarily speak for the entirety of the black experience.

And I think that will be especially important next term, when the court takes up a very consequential

challenge to affirmative action.

In this conversation, first recorded on March 30th for Washington Post Live, Professor

Murray also dives into the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court, given the news about

text messages from Justice Thomas' wife to Donald Trump's chief of staff in her quest

to overturn the 2020 election.

Melissa, welcome to K-PART on Washington Post Live.

Thank you so much for having me and congratulations on your new post, your promotion.

Oh, well, thank you.

Thank you.

Let's get into talking about the confirmation.

Let's talk about this, Ginny Thomas text messages thing.

And talk about why these text messages are from the spouse of a Justice to the White House

Chief of Staff is so problematic from the court's perspective.

...