Multnomah County Library (MCL) has selected Justice Ketanji Brown Jack’s Lovely One: A Memoir for Everybody Reads 2026, the library’s signature community reading project that has been operating for 24 years. Justice Jackson will visit Portland in the spring for an author talk Thursday, March 12 that concludes months of engaging library programs and events surrounding the book and its themes.
Lovely One is Justice Jackson’s intimate reflection of her family’s heritage through segregation and her own path as the first Black woman to be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the US. The book explores key themes of identity, ambition and resilience, highlighting the importance of mentorship and perseverance through professional and personal challenges.
Library patrons can pick up a free copy of Lovely One from the library starting in January. MCL will distribute 8,000 copies of Lovely One through libraries and high schools across Multnomah County as part of the project.
“Lovely One offers us a powerful story of identity and resilience, a shared foundation for listening and reflection,” said Director of Libraries Annie Lewis. “Justice Jackson’s moving account of her accomplished life and her family’s legacy provides a rich backdrop for conversations about justice and injustice; what we gain from and give to one another; and persistence in pursuit of a dream.”
Tickets ($35-$85) for the March 12 event are currently on sale through Literary Arts, literary-arts.org. The event takes place at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 7:30-9 pm.