WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vicksburg attorney Ty Pinkins was sworn into the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday.

The ceremony in the nation’s highest court occurred during Juneteenth week, a symbolic and deeply meaningful moment for a Black native of the Mississippi Delta.

“To be sworn into the bar of the United States Supreme Court during Juneteenth is deeply personal,” said Pinkins, who was born and raised in Rolling Fork and now lives in Vicksburg. “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.”

Admission to the Supreme Court Bar is required to argue cases before the nation’s highest court. Admission requires a separate process from state bar associations. Attorneys who have been practicing for three or more years in any state are eligible.

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 in Iraq — and later earned both his J.D. and LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Since entering politics, the 50-year-old Pinkins has been the Democratic Party for Mississippi Secretary of State in 2023, and U.S. Senate in 2024. He did not win either race. Pinkins has declared his candidacy to run again for Mississippi’s other Senate seat in 2026, against incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.

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. He has been a lawyer for the Mississippi Center for Justice and represented Mississippians in under-served communities.

“On Juneteenth, we remember that freedom didn’t come all at once. It came late — and only after pressure, persistence, and sacrifice,” Pinkins said. “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.”

With Wednesday’s ceremony, Pinkins joins a small group of Black attorneys from Mississippi admitted to the Supreme Court Bar.

Pinkins said he’ll continue to use his platform to push for greater transparency, accountability, and justice in government.

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