"Seating you on this court has forever altered history of the Kentucky Court of Justice," Justice Michelle Keller said Friday, to a round of applause in the high court's chambers.
Goodwine has earned the frequent description "trailblazer," serving as the first Black woman on the Kentucky Court of Appeals before taking her new seat. The newly-minted justice — who is the also first woman to serve in all levels of the judiciary, according to the Kentucky Lantern — is also joining the state's first women-led Supreme Court under its first female chief justice.
In the ceremony, officials from Gov. Andy Beshear to Chief Justice Lambert praised the newest member of the high court for her tenacity and deeply-rooted principles.
While Goodwine spoke on the historical significance of the moment, she said it's also about upholding a set of values.
"I said that today is the realization of a dream that was 45 (years) in the making. But today is more than a personal milestone. It is a reaffirmation of my continued commitment to fairness, justice, and the rule of law," she said.
Goodwine credited her parents with giving her roots.
"Growing up in the inner city of Youngstown, Ohio, my parents had eighth-grade educations and demonstrated and instilled in me the importance of faith, hard work, education, and perseverance. Those are the values that I have embodied throughout my life, and they are the reason that I am here today," she said.
Goodwin's investiture was delayed by the snow storm earlier this year.