Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a true pioneer for civil rights. Her legacy is what allows us women to work and have children. She fought for equality in the workplace. Indeed, she was a true model of a working parent at a time when there were not a lot of working moms. She had a way of “doing it all” during times when women were actively discouraged from doing so. She is a rare person who modeled her beliefs in her everyday life and then perpetuated those beliefs on a global scale.
We owe so much to RBG
In the US, we women are where we are today because of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. When she passed, there was a fury of texts and social media activity from my women friends and colleagues. We all felt a sense of personal loss. We had just lost someone that impacted our lives and the lives of our children.
I am thankful that in the past few years she became an icon. Because she witnessed herself becoming that icon, we have beautiful documentaries, books, quotes and interviews. I admit that I cried during almost the entirety of her 2018 CNN documentary. We all feel connected to her because she fought for us as women. Her fight for us impacts us in our everyday lives, including: the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), having a mortgage in our name, the right to be pregnant in the workplace, the right for women to have the same retirement benefits as men, the right for women to attend the same public schools as men, and so forth.
Speaking up and continuing the fight
Ruth Bader Ginsberg inspires women to speak up. Her dissenting collar and the words “I dissent” are a rallying cry for her words and in a sense, our words, to be heard. "Some of my favorite opinions are dissenting opinions," Ginsburg told NPR. "I will not live to see what becomes of them, but I remain hopeful."
May her memory be a blessing. In fact, let it be a reminder to all of us to embody her spirit and fight collectively for equality. Let us be like her and think beyond ourselves and fight for equality, both now and the future. Let us have actions that say we demand equality- whether in education, in the workplace, in marriage and in society. Finally, let us promote equality always. And remember to vote in November. Collectively, our voices can- and will- be heard.
“If you want to be a true professional you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is- living not for oneself, but for one’s community” - RBG
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time”- RBG
“Women belong in all places that decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception”- RBG
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." -RBG