Kamala Harris picks Sotomayor for swearing-in ceremony

The first Black, South Asian and female vice-president will take her oath of office from the first Latina Supreme Court justice

One of the two Bibles Harris will use for the swearing-in belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice

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US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be taking part in her second inaugural ceremony on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Published: 5:16pm, 17 Jan 2021Updated: 5:16pm, 17 Jan 2021

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday, a history-making event in which the first Black, South Asian and female vice-president will take her oath of office from the first Latina justice.

Harris chose Sotomayor for the task, according to a person familiar with the decision. She will also use two Bibles for the swearing-in, one of which belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice.

ABC News first reported the latest details of Harris’ inauguration plans.

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris shares experience as a prosecutor with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Photo: AP

Harris has expressed admiration for both Sotomayor and Marshall. She and Sotomayor share experience as prosecutors, and she once called Marshall – like Harris, a graduate of Howard University – one of her “greatest heroes”.

She said in a video posted to Twitter that she viewed Marshall as “one of the main reasons I wanted to be a lawyer”, calling him “a fighter” in the courtroom.