On September 18, the world suffered an unimaginable loss: Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. She was an inspiration to many generations of women and became a pop culture icon as the “Notorious RBG.” When I heard the news, I was in absolute denial and shock. My first thought was, “this has got to be another hoax. There is no way she is gone.” I was wrong. As I’ve spent the last week watching and reading tributes to RBG, I’ve come to realize that so many people are unaware of the amazing things she did, so I compiled this list of five amazing things RBG did in her lifetime.
- She was the first woman to serve on the Harvard Law Review.
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While being a wife and mother, RBG attended Harvard where she pursued a degree in law. During this time she not only had to care for herself and her daughter but her husband, Marty, as well. Marty was diagnosed with testicular cancer during this time. With all of these things on her plate, she still managed to become the first woman to serve on the editorial board for the Harvard Law Review.
- She graduated from Columbia Law School at the top of her class.
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After moving to New York with her husband and daughter, RBG continued her law degree at Columbia. She excelled and finished first in her class. While at Columbia, she also served on their law review as well.
- She fought against gender-based discrimination.
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As a woman and mother, RBG was no stranger to prejudice. She found herself struggling to find jobs and opportunities. She fought for equal pay for herself and other female professors when she worked at Rutgers. The 2018 film, On the Basis of Sex, sheds some light on her first major case that focused on gender-based discrimination. In 1974 she co-authored Sex-Based Discrimination: Text, Cases and Materials, which was the first law book of its kind. She additionally co-founded the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project.
- She was the first Jewish person and the second woman to serve on the U.S Supreme Court.
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In 1993, president Bill Clinton appointed RBG to the U.S Supreme Court. For 27 years, she served our country. During this time, she earned the nickname “the Great Dissenter.” She felt it was unfair that the justice robes had a place for men to show their ties so she always made a statement with her iconic collars.
- She advocated for all.
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When she first received her appointment, RBG was fairly moderate. As time passed she became more progressive. While she famously advocated for gender equality, she also fought for the rights of undocumented people, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities. She also fought to expand voting rights.
As a woman of Jewish faith myself, it held great meaning that she passed away at the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. People who pass on this date are considered to be righteous people. Righteous is just one word I’d absolutely use to describe RBG. With RGB’s passing, we’ve lost a legendary woman, but she’s left behind an amazing legacy.