Queen of Justice: A Portrait of Sandra Day O'Connor

Queen of JusticeA Portrait of Sandra Day O'Connor Yousef Khanfar (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Photo of Sandra Day O'Connor by Yousef Khanfar/www.yousefkhanfar.com [End Page 26] Photographer Yousef Khanfar recalls his time with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in this tribute to the first female justice of the United States Supreme Court. I was fortunate to fall into the orbit of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, whom I call the Queen of Justice. The first woman justice to serve in the United States Supreme Court, she passed away on December 1, 2023, at the age of ninety-three. In my lifelong search for peace and humanity, I also seek to promote justice. As a photographer, I speak with my eyes, and images are my messages. I wanted to capture a portrait of justice, so I chose Justice O'Connor, for she symbolizes the summit of justice. I called on my dear friend Robert Henry, former chief judge of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, a Renaissance man who had a close relationship with her and arranged the meeting. Initially, her staff gave me only fifteen to twenty minutes. I told Judge Henry, I can't even say good morning in fifteen minutes. I said, I am not interested in taking a photograph, I want to create a masterpiece. And with his shrewd diplomacy, I was granted much more time. On May 18, 2009, I traveled from New York with my assistants to Washington, DC. The next day, in the US Supreme Court, we went through a great number of security checkpoints since I brought many boxes of photography equipment. Finally, I arrived at Justice O'Connor's office and met her secretary, Linda Neary, who welcomed me and called her out of a meeting. Justice O'Connor came out of the meeting with her beautiful smile and deep blue eyes. With her delicate hands, she held both of my hands and mentioned that she was in a meeting with delegates from overseas and would be done by early afternoon. She also assigned a young woman to give me a tour of the Supreme Court. Then I gifted her my book, In Search of Peace, and a red silk scarf. From the first impression, she gave me great comfort. She was welcoming, warm, and engaging. In the afternoon, it was time for the photo session. Justice O'Connor came to a vast conference room that I preferred, which had long, royal curtains at the windows. She was accompanied by some of her staff and a security guard. I was a bit nervous to have so many eyes on what I was doing. After all, she was one of the most powerful women in US history. She stood before me and said, I am ready. I replied, I am going to dim the lights to near darkness. At that moment there was an audible sigh from the staff and security. She stepped close to me and softly said, Don't worry, tell me what to do and I will do it. She stepped back and then, without any hesitation, came back again and softly said, You know, I never said that to any man. We both laughed, and at that moment I began to know this grand lady on a human scale. She made me feel less nervous with her smile and beautiful sense of humor. So, I asked her to stand in front of the curtains, open them slightly, gaze outside, and think of America. She did, and I captured her iconic portrait. The symbolism of Justice O'Connor's portrait has many dimensions. One, opening the curtains, which means that, since she was the first female justice, she opened the door to the female justices who followed her. Second, the portrait cast a pool of light into the mysterious place we call the Supreme Court. Third, one can see her keen gaze into the future reflecting on America and the American people. [End Page 27] Click for larger view View full resolution Photos by Yousef Khanfar/www.yousefkhanfar.com Since she wrote many books and was often the court's swing...