Celebrating the life and work of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “The Notorious RBG,” (1933-2020), an icon who expanded the rights of all Americans

 Alexandra Scott
Editorial Assistant

When the word feminist comes to mind, countless individuals might associate the word to people along the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt or Gloria Stenem. However, one woman that stands apart from the rest and has left the biggest footprint of all goes by the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Recently, her name has been circulated in the press due to her death that occurred this September. While many might have heard her name, her story goes beyond what the headlines can cover…
  Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933, Ginsburg grew up in a place and time where women were treated unequally. She worked hard to earn a high school degree, and even when her mom passed away the day before her high school graduation, Ginsburg didn’t let it stop her from pursuing a college degree. Instead, her mother’s death motivated her to succeed and take action - and so that’s what she did.
  By 1954, Ginsburg had attended Cornell University, a top ranking Ivy League, and later enrolled at Harvard Law school where she worked alongside her husband Martin. Between having to take care of her own child and her husband who had become sick from cancer, Ginsburg was stretched thin as she tried to balance her academic and personal life. Even though Ginsburg’s early life was stressful, it helped shape her into a strong and determined woman who was willing to fight for what she believed in.
  Over the course of her life Ginsburg transferred from job to job, acquiring new skills and experiences that helped her land a position at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. Eventually though, her life would forever change when, in 1993, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court. There she crafted revolutionary rulings that helped bridge the gap between genders and reduce inequality for all. One of her most recognized cases involved the Virginia Military Institute and its admittance of men only. With an admirable perseverity, Ginsburg was able to change the male-only admissions policy so that women could attend the Institute, too.
  All in all, the Notorious RBG still stands to this day as a revolutionary female judge and activist who fought for women’s rights. Although she recently passed away this September from pancreatic cancer, Ginsburg’s rulings  that she fought so hard to write still stand strong to this day. She has inspired countless women all over the world to take action and to pursue their dreams, as well as to keep their head held high even in a room full of males. Thanks to Ginsburg, women all across America are closer to achieving equality and justice.