Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, visited Tuskegee University last week per a report by al.com. Her trip to the HBCU was part of a tour of several historic markers of Alabama in observance of the Baptist Street Church bombing that killed four young girls and became a central moment in the Civil Rights movement and occurred on September 15, 1963.

Tuskegee University is one of only a few institutions around the nation recognized as a national historic site. During her visit, she met with the university president Charlotte P. Morris, several Deans of Colleges on campus, and students. The trip was a homecoming of sorts for Justice Jackson. She spoke about her unique cultural link to Alabama during her speech at 16th Street Baptist Church.

“Despite growing up in nearby Florida and having a mother, aunt, and uncle who are all proud graduates of Tuskegee University; despite having a godmother who lives in Birmingham, and is here with me today, I have to admit this is my very first time visiting this great state.”

She continued, “Now, I want to assure you that I actually do know a lot about Alabama and in particular its critical connection to the civil rights struggle of African-Americans during the 1950s and 1960s. While I’ve not been to Alabama, I can quite confidently say that I know Alabama. If you knew my parents, you would understand why.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first black woman Supreme Court Justice appointed to the Supreme Court in history. She was nominated by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She was sworn in as a Justice on June 30, 2022.