For the right to a bank account, for equal pay, for the right to choose, for the right to work as lawyers and lawmakers, for the right to an equal education; Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s decisions set precedents for the rights of women that will be in place for generations to come. 

  Champion of gender equality, Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020 after a long and hard fought battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The nation, devastated to hear of RBG’s death, took to social media to chronicle her life and celebrate everything she stood for as a Supreme Court Justice for 27 years. 

  Mercer Webb, Sanderson Senior commented on the overwhelming social media sweep saying, “To see so many people who have various different beliefs and ideologies still be able to recognize and respect RBG and the work she has done, has been very comforting to see, especially during this time.” Today, we take a look back at the history of her life and her lasting impact on us all.

“Women’s rights are an essential part of the overall human rights agenda, trained on the equal dignity and ability to live in freedom all people should enjoy.” – RBG

  Starting from her early schooling years, Ruth Bader Ginsburg walked through life committed to equal justice and education for all. In 1956, she enrolled in Harvard Law School where she was one of nine women in a class of 500 men. After transferring to Columbia Law School, she became the first woman to be in two major law reviews; the Harvard Law Review and Columbia Law Review. She accomplished all of this under immense pressure from 1950s American society who threatened her life because of her unforgiving and unrelenting commitment to furthering gender equality. 

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – RBG

  RBG continued to stand up for the rights of women in the legal system through the 1970s. She fought alongside women, like Kate Millet and Gloria Steinem, against gender discrimination in the court of law. During this period, she served as the director of the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. In that role, RBG took on controversial cases, disputing discriminatory legislation. 

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” – RBG

  Soon enough, her contentious cases and successes caught the eye of President Jimmy Carter, who appointed RBG to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980. She continued to gain press as a feminist Court Justice and in 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated her for the Supreme Court, and she was confirmed on a 96-3 vote. 

  Throughout her 27 years on the Supreme Court, she fought tirelessly and fiercely for all women. Webb shared further, “We have all been influenced, whether you know it or not, by the strides she took to tear down walls and build them back up in a more efficient, welcoming, and equitable way.”

  Even in the face of unforgiving illness, RBG endured and with the same power and grace that she carried with her throughout all of life’s challenges. 

  Today we honor her memory, and her lasting legacy. May she rest in peace.