Lovely One

In Lovely One, the author reflects on America’s history of racist policies and her own family’s personal experiences as African Americans from the South. By discussing anti-Black discrimination in both the big picture of American history and the personal picture of her family’s story, Jackson describes the challenges and the empowerment that come with confronting racism.

Jackson’s historical context underscores the vicious and persistent nature of anti-Black racism throughout American history, from the initial enslavement and trade of African people to the present day. For instance, she points to how the Supreme Court itself once used its power to legalize the oppression Black Americans. She explains, “Even after slavery ended, the Supreme Court gave its imprimatur to the doctrine of state-sanctioned racial segregation” (3). Jackson’s observations on anti-Black racism in America are underlined by examples of how such norms impacted her own family. She describes her grandfather Horace’s life in Georgia in the 1930s, where he worked as a chauffeur for a white family and endured Jim Crow laws both at home and during life on the road. She writes,

He would have to make his bed inside the car at night, wash up in outhouses or at standpipes at the back of White-owned facilities, relieve himself behind trees or bushes, and eat whatever food was brought back for him by his employers. Above all, he would have to be careful to stay out of sight in the infamous ‘sundown towns’ dotted across the country, places where Black people dare not be caught after nightfall, even today (10).

Jackson honors her grandparents’ resilience by describing how, even in such hostile conditions, they were able to forge ahead and build a new life together. She credits her grandmother Euzera with teaching her to remain positive and proactive in the face of others’ cruel behavior. She recalls Euzera’s words of wisdom to her: “You are meant for greater things than they will ever imagine, so don’t let them trouble your heart” (83). Jackson describes how she drew on these lessons throughout her life whenever she confronted racism herself, making a clear connection between her ancestors’ resilience and her own. 

In her legal and judicial career, Jackson works to combat racial injustice wherever possible. On the US Sentencing Commission, she worked to reform sentencing guidelines to ensure equitable sentencing for all defendants, regardless of race. As a public defender, she represented criminal defendants who could not afford to hire a private attorney, thus combatting the racial and class inequalities baked into the justice system. Throughout her career, Jackson has seen herself as a beacon to other women of color who may not have imagined themselves in a position of such responsibility. As a self-described “striver,” she not only advances herself but also helps to advance all the Americans whose prospects have been hindered by racism. She provides a coda to this theme as she relays a line from her speech at the White House after being confirmed to her position on the Supreme Court. She joyfully shares, “In my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court of the United States!” (377). Through her story, Jackson both condemns racial discrimination and celebrates how she and her family, like so many, have achieved great things in spite of racist hostility.