Members Urged to Support Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court Nomination
International president says nominee's positions parallel Sorority's mission
Alpha Kappa Alpha's international president, Barbara A. McKinzie, urged members to mobilize around Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor to assure her speedy confirmation.
In a passionate letter to the membership, McKinzie noted that Judge Sotomayor's historic nomination to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama reinforces the president's resolve to diversify the nation's highest legal body. She also said her personal story of being raised in public housing and overcoming the odds make her more sensitive and empathetic to issues that embrace AKA's ESP agenda for change.
"Because so much of what she stands for, and how she's voted, parallel our ESP program, we must support her and demand that our senators confirm her," declared McKinzie.
She pointed out that Sotomayor brings credentials as well as compassion. Her distinguished educational background includes graduating with honors from Princeton and from Yale Law School. McKinzie said her legal background has seen her perform admirably as a prosecutor, lawyer and judge.
As a jurist, McKinzie reported that Sotomayor's rulings underscore her support of civil rights, human rights, environmental rights and other issues that parallel Alpha Kappa Alpha's mission. She added that Sotomayor is also a role model whose devotion to hard work, education and integrity are guideposts to all who aspire to reach beyond their circumstances to achieve greatness.
McKinzie said that despite her record of achievement and despite being appointed to federal judgeships by former President George Herbert Walker Bush and President Bill Clinton, she still faces stiff opposition to the Supreme Court nomination by those resistant to change.
For that reason, she urged members to "galvanize around this nominee and write our senators to urge them to confirm her."