On Monday (May 24), Missouri Governor Mike Parson appointed Judge Robin Ransom to the state Supreme Court in a historic move. Ransom is the first Black woman to be appointed to serve on the state’s highest court and only the third woman to do so.
Ransom is replacing Judge Laura Denvir Stith who retired in March. Stith was the second woman to serve on the court.
In assuming her role, Ransom will be joining Chief Justice George Draper as the second Black judge who’s currently serving on the Missouri Supreme Court. Ransom, a native of North St. Louis, near Ferguson, acknowledged the limitation of her role, and told reporters she’s appreciative of Gov. Parson’s “vision.”
“I can’t cure all of the social ills and injustices that are out there, and this appointment won’t do that,” Ransom said. “What this appointment does show is that this governor has the courage to make such an appointment, that he has great vision for this state, and he knows how great this state is and what this state can be.”
She also shared that her father worked at a segregated fire station in St. Louis, and that her race is not what only defines her.
“I have never lived by a label or by any identity that anyone’s tried to put upon me,” Ransom said. “When I look in the mirror, I’ve always been Robin. And I’ve always lived my life to be kind to everyone and to be the best person that I can be,” she added.
Parson, who is a Republican, said that Ransom was appointed because “she was the best qualified candidate for the Supreme Court,” noting that she’s worked hard in her career to earn the role.
Ransom previously served as a judge in the Missouri Eastern District Appeals Court and before that was a circuit judge in St. Louis County.
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