On Thursday, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave a speech on the Senate floor in which he claimed that “Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all white men.”
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, with President Ronald Reagan nominating her in 1981. The Senate confirmed her nomination with a 99-0 vote on September 21, 1981. While O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the court, Schumer erred in saying that before her confirmation the court was “all white men.” President Lydon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall in 1967, and Marshall became the first black Supreme Court justice after the Senate confirmed him in a 69-11 vote.
Schumer later walked back his comments, tweeting that he “misspoke.”
If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.
Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated.
You are currently using a limited time guest pass and do not have access to commenting. Consider subscribing to join the conversation.
With your membership, you only have the ability to comment on The Morning Dispatch articles. Consider upgrading to join the conversation everywhere.