Ty Pinkins sworn into Supreme Court Bar during Juneteenth week

WASHINGTON, D.C. (VDN) — Today, Ty Pinkins—a U.S. Army veteran, attorney, and public servant—was officially sworn into the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. The ceremony took place in the nation’s highest court during Juneteenth week, a symbolic and deeply meaningful moment for a son of the Mississippi Delta. 

“To be sworn into the bar of the United States Supreme Court during Juneteenth is deeply personal,” said Pinkins. “This moment isn’t just about me-it’s about honoring those who came before me, who were denied access to justice, to education, to power. Today, I walk through the doors that many were never allowed to approach.” 

Born in the small town of Rolling Fork, Pinkins grew up in poverty, chopping cotton and living in a home without indoor plumbing. He went on to serve 21 years in the U.S. Army—including three combat tours—and later earned both his J.D. and LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center. From the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to the corridors of the White House and now to the courtroom of the Supreme Court, Pinkins says he has devoted his life to public service, equality, and fighting for those without a voice in the room. 

“On Juneteenth, we remember that freedom didn’t come all at once. It came late-and only after pressure, persistence, and sacrifice,” Pinkins reflected. “On a day like this, I think about my ancestors who were once considered property under the law, and about the responsibility I carry to use the law as a tool for liberation, not oppression. It’s our duty to step into these spaces and ensure that justice truly means justice for all.”

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure the freedom of enslaved African Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. That the Supreme Court swearing-in took place during this week was not lost on Pinkins. 

“This institution has not always been on the right side of history,” he said. “Today, I honor those who paved the way by stepping into this court as their descendant—not just in blood, but in purpose.”

Pinkins continues to use his platform to push for greater transparency, accountability, and justice in government. He has been a consistent voice for protecting Social Security and Medicaid, ending insider trading in Congress, and ensuring working people, not wealthy special interests, are at the center of America’s political future. 

“This isn’t a finish line,” Pinkins said. “It’s fuel for the road ahead.”