McLean County Times

Illinois state Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) recently congratulated Lisa Holder White, the state's newest Supreme Court justice.

The senator made her congratulations in a recent Facebook post.

"Congratulations to our friend and former 4th district appellate court justice, Honorable Lisa Holder White who was sworn in today as our newest Illinois Supreme Court Justice!" she said in the post. "We are extremely honored and proud!"

In her post, Turner shared an ABC7 link about the event. 

"According to the nonpartisan law and policy organization, the Brennan Center for Justice, just 17% of justices are Black, Latino, Asian American, or Native American across all state high courts," the ABC7 report said. "By contrast, people of color make up almost 40% of the U.S. population. Holder White, who was appointed in place of retiring Justice Rita Garman, has been the first in several roles in her career. She was the first Black judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit when she was sworn in in 2001, and became the first Black justice in the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District in 2013."

"When I think about that, what I reflect on is those who came before me who didn't have the same opportunities that I've had," Holder White told ABC7. "Those who came before me when those doors were closed, and that door is now being opened."

Holder White was sworn in at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum by Justice Mary Jane Theis, a recent report from Black Enterprise said. 

“My heritage is a heritage that once involved minds and bodies that were shackled, and doors that were so, so long closed,” Holder White told Black Enterprise. “Taking my oath in this place today recognizes the undeniable value and merit of what I — as a Black woman, mother, daughter, sister, wife, and jurist — have to contribute to the work of our state’s highest court. It is proof positive of the progress of this great nation and our great state. It is a testimony to the notion that as women and people of color we need not limit our dreams or settle for less.”

Holder White’s term starts in July and expires in 2024 after a full-time replacement is decided in the November 2024 elections, WTTW News said.