Associate Supreme Court Justice, the “Notorious” Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the age of 87 due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. Ginsburg passed on the Jewish holiday of RoshHashanah on Sept. 18.
Ginsburg was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993 and served until her death, working every day to push for equal rights for all citizens, no matter their religious background, race, or gender. Ginsburg was a powerhouse woman –without her, the world is significantly dimmer. She left quite a legacy behind her. In honor of her accomplishments, she will be interred in the Arlington National Cemetery alongside her beloved husband, Martin Ginsburg.
In an effort to appreciate and honor her legacy, one must first learn about her life and all that she has done. Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, and came out swinging, ready to fight for what she believed was right. Her mother fostered education and encouraged her to read and expand her mind throughout her childhood. As Ginsburg once said, “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
After graduating high school, Ginsburg went on to attend Cornell University, where she studied law and met the love of her life, Martin Ginsburg. She excelled academically and was one of nine women in a class of 500 men to attend Harvard Law School for post-grad. While supporting her sick husband and taking notes for him (in addition to herself), she fired through her studies and continued to excel. After Martin got a job in New York, she transferred to Columbia Law School and eventually graduated at the top of her class.
After law school, Ginsburg had a hard time finding employment as a clerk due to gender discrimination. Despite the many obstacles, she continued to push past and fight passionately for others.
In 1970, Ginsburg co-founded the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, the first law journal to focus solely on women’s rights. Just two years later, 1972, she also co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, which participated in more than 300 gender discrimination cases by 1974. When Ginsburg served as the director of the project, she argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976 and subsequently won five.
Ginsburg made it her personal aim to shatter the glass ceiling. In 1993, Ginsburg was one of the three female supreme court justices and was appointed as part of the liberal wing. She became known for her fiery dissents, and was a strong advocate for women’s rights. In recent years, Ginsburg voted on some of the most controversial subjects, including same-sex marriage, voting rights, abortion rights, immigration, and health care. When once asked about when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg famously answered, “When there are nine.”
During her time serving as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Ginsburg became a national legal rock star. Nicknamed the “Notorious RBG,” she was admired by young women all over the country. Ginsburg began showing up on T-Shirts, posters, and all over the media. Comedian Kate McKinnon impersonated her in popular sketches on SNL, and six documentaries were made about her life, the most famous one being directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West in 2018.
Ginsburg was beloved by the American people and women all over the globe. She was a champion for human rights who pushed all of us to do better and be better. She has inspired women to rise up and take their places in the government. As she famously said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
In order to honor Ginsburg’s incredible legacy, I encourage you to VOTE! Young or old, Black or white, Christian or Muslim, please cast your vote in the upcoming election on November 3. You deserve to have a say in how this country is run. Ginsburg’s dying wish was to not be replaced in the Supreme Court until the next president has been inaugurated, and President Trump is trying to ignore that wish.
You can find more information about how to vote at this link. You can also sign several petitions to protest filling Ginsburg’s seat in the Supreme Court until the next election. Rest in Power, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You will be sorely missed.