5 Years Ago Today, Sonia Sotomayor Became First Latina Supreme Court Justice

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Jose Cabezas, AFP/Getty Images
U.S. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor speaks in San Salvador on Aug. 16, 2011.

USA Today reminds us that on this day, Bronx born and bred Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the nation’s first Latina Supreme Court justice.

Sotomayor is a product of a working class family of The Bronx, much like many others in our borough and gives us a great source of pride along with all the other great Bronxites who made it to the top of their professions.

Here are several quotes from Sotomayor selected by USA Today that we liked:

“In every position that I’ve been in, there have been naysayers who don’t believe I’m qualified or who don’t believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.” — interview Jan. 13 with NPR

“I would warn any minority student today against the temptations of self-segregation: Take support and comfort from your own group as you can, but don’t hide within it.” — Sotomayor’s 2013 book My Beloved World

Head over to the original article and read the rest: Sotomayor said it: Notable quotes from Supreme Court’s 1st Latina justice

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.