Durham, N.C. (February 15, 2022) — In response to U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement, and recent news that President Biden is reviewing a short list of potential Supreme Court nominations, Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ)’s Co-Executive Director and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights, Allison Riggs issued the following statement:
“Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement is an opportunity for the nation’s highest court to renew its commitment to protecting the rights of all Americans, as the Constitution requires.
“The Justice selected to replace him will be a leading and, in some cases, a deciding voice on the issues we fight for everyday — an expansive democracy where everyone can vote, all students are nurtured, oppressive criminal-legal systems are remade, and our environment is safe.
“We call on the President and Congress to elevate a jurist who not only understands these issues and upholds the rule of law, but who also takes seriously the growing threats to our democratic governance and the impact of these attacks on the advancement and well-being of every American.”
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The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, founded in 2007, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing, and communications. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.