President Joe Biden announced Friday that he is nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court , handing progressives a win and moving forward with his promise to put the first Black woman onto the nations highest court.

In remarks at the White House, Biden said Jackson is not only incredibly qualified but will bring badly needed diversity to the Supreme Court.

For too long, our government, our courts, havent looked like America, said the president, with Jackson standing by his side, along with Vice President Kamala Harris . I believe its time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation, with a nominee of extraordinary qualifications. And that we inspire all young people to believe that they can one day serve their country at the highest level.

Jackson, 51, was considered the front-runner to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced in January that he plans to retire this summer.

Jackson has been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit since June . She previously served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for eight years. She is a former public defender and was vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She also clerked for Breyer during the 1999-2000 Supreme Court term.

Presidents regularly pluck Supreme Court nominees from the D.C. Circuit. Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh all served on this court, as did the late Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia.

During her remarks at the White House, Jackson thanked Biden and said her religious faith has led her to this point.

I thank God for delivering me to this point in my professional journey, Jackson said. My life has been blessed beyond measure, and I do know that one can only come this far by faith.

She talked about law enforcement running in her family, including two uncles who served decades as police officers, and said her familys support has been the foundation of her successes. She also had special praise for Breyer.

Justice Breyer, in particular, not only gave me the greatest job that any young lawyer could ever hope to have, but he also exemplified every day in every way that a Supreme Court justice can perform at the highest level of skill and integrity while also being guided by civility, grace, pragmatism and generosity of spirit, Jackson said. Justice Breyer, the members of the Senate will decide if I fill your seat, but please know that I could never fill your shoes.

Progressive judicial advocacy groups and dozens of organizations representing public defenders had been urging Biden to pick Jackson. They argued it was long past time for a former public defender to have a seat on the court.

Im not looking to make an ideological choice, Biden recently told NBCs Lester Holt regarding his selection process. Im looking for someone to replace Judge Breyer with the same kind of capacity that Judge Breyer had, with an open mind, who understands the Constitution and interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution.