Justice Pamela R. Goodwine recently made history as the first Black woman to be elected and sworn in to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Sworn in last Friday, Justice Goodwine was joined by her husband and great-grandson as she took the oath of office from Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter. As she was sworn in, she reflected on her path to becoming a Justice.
Throughout her 45-year career, Justice Goodwine has broken multiple barriers. Initially, she began her journey as a legal secretary and court stenographer after obtaining her degrees from the University of Kentucky. She was first elected as a district judge in 1999.
Her election made her the first Black woman to serve in that position in Lexington. Four years later, Justice Goodwine broke another barrier, becoming the first Black woman to be a circuit judge. In 2018, she was eventually elected to serve on the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
“I always say that I don’t give up on my dreams when life gets hard, I simply work harder to make my dreams come true. If there is one philosophy and action I would like to be known for and for you all to recognize and live by as well, that is it,” said Justice Goodwine. “No matter what life brings your way, keep dreaming and keep working toward your goals.”
With her official swearing into the position, Justice Goodwine joins a select number of women who have been elected to a state Supreme Court. Per the latest report from the Brennan Center for Justice, racial, ethnic and gender disparities persist amongst state high courts.
Drawing on 60 years of data, according to the researchers, there are currently five states with just one woman on their Supreme Court. In about 13 states, there is only one BIPOC woman Justice, while in 25 states, there are currently no BIPOC women sitting on the state Supreme Court bench.
Overall, only 20% of state Supreme Court seats are filled by BIPOC Justices. The lack of representation persists amongst states where BIPOC communities make up a majority of the population as 19 states currently have no Black, Latino, Asian and Native American Justices on their court.
With her latest election, Justice Goodwine becomes the only Black Justice to currently sit on Kentucky’s high court.
“Kentucky can be proud and grateful that Justice Goodwine now brings the full wealth of experience to the highest court as a leader,” said Gov. Andy Beshear at Justice Goodwine’s investiture. “We know that building a better commonwealth isn’t just about making a difference for our generation. It’s about making that difference for our kids and our grandkids and our great-grandkids, making sure that they can find opportunities and pursue their dreams right here in Kentucky and making sure they trust elected leaders to move this state forward, not right, not left, but forward.”
