Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Born: March 15th, 1933
Died: September 18th, 2020
America lost an iconic champion for gender equality. Ruth B. Ginsburg (RBG) used every moment here on earth to make a difference in the world. RBG spent her life challenging the external limiting beliefs of society. Through determination and tenacity, she opened the door for women to be hired as lawyers when they were never allowed access because society expected them to revert to their wifely duties. RBG changes the laws of our country to promote equality for everyone. She lived her truth and had a family, a supportive husband, all while profoundly dedicated to her career.
The B Words; 13 Words Women Must Navigate for Success launched this week. There is a parallel connection between RBG and several of the "B Words" in the book, including Beliefs, Bad Ass, and Brave.
The Courtroom of the Supreme Court showing Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Bench Chair and the Bench in front of her seat draped in black following her death on September 18, 2020. | Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
BELIEFS
Sixty years ago, women did not go to Harvard Law. While it was not prohibited, society had a strong limiting belief, a prohibition, that women would waste their outstanding law education on their "wifely duties" like raising kids and setting up a home. RBG was one of nine women in her law class. She was a wife and mother with a small daughter. When asked, "Why are you here occupying a seat that could be held by a man?" she mumbled a sheepish reply, "I think it is important for a wife to understand her husband's work." Her answer matched society's expectations at that time. Later on, she revealed, "It was not a truthful answer when I gave it. But I'd say I went to law school because I wanted to study law."
Despite graduating first in her law school class while raising her daughter and caring for her husband diagnosed with cancer while they were both in law school, RBG hit another external limiting belief when pursuing a career. RBG could not find a job. Law firm doors were closed to a married mother. Pay disparities and gender-based hiring decisions were acknowledged and expected at that time.
Prohibitive societal limiting beliefs never deterred RBG’s plan to pursue a law career. She charted a different course and landed a teaching job at Rutgers Law School in 1963. After having another child, RBG began her work fighting gender discrimination.
BRAVE
As a petite, shy, Jewish girl from Brooklyn, the daughter of Russian immigrant parents, RBG was an unexpected civil rights champion. Her 1970's strategy to fight for women's rights was also an unexpected one. Early on, RBG knew that to win, she had to persuade males. What better way to persuade male judges than to present male plaintiffs who were harmed by the law? She designed her legal argument to persuade the supreme court that the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause referring to “any person” applied not only to men but to women as well.
As her career grew, so did her influence over policy and young women in the United States who desperately need strong role models. Her appointment as the second woman to the Supreme Court Justice paved the way for the future, and over the years, RBG achieved cultural and feminist icon status. She is the subject of movies, documentaries and was a regular on Saturday Night Live Sketches.
RBG bravely battled cancer no less than five times throughout her life, and it never deterred her from her service to the United States. She attributed her ability to continue working during treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, to her husband Marty, telling her that she could do it even on the days she felt that she could not.
RBG’s 56-year marriage was a brave testimony to equality and strength. Marty and Ruth met at Cornell University when she was 17. She said, "What made Marty so overwhelmingly attractive to me was that he cared that I had a brain." Their marriage was a true partnership. She stood by him and ensured that he survived cancer and graduated from law school while Ruth herself was also in law school. Marty was her constant advocate and supporter, and they went on to argue supreme court cases together during their career. When Marty died in 2010, Ruth went to work on the bench the next day because she said, “Marty would have wanted it.”
Marty & Ruth
The Ginsburg’s met at Cornell University & were married for 53 years.
BADASS
After her husband's death, Ruth continued to serve tirelessly on the supreme court as she dedicated her life to her crusade for equality. She dissented passionately on cases involving women's rights, including Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby, which allowed some for-profit companies to limit access to birth control for women by denying payments on health care plans based on religious reasons. Her goal in providing dissenting opinions was to leave a legacy and an opportunity to persuade future courts.
A few days before her death, RBG’s granddaughter stated on RBG's behalf, “ My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." Even in the face of death, RBG continued to voice her opinion.
RBG's work changed the world for women.
Women Lead the Tribute to RBG’s Work and Life | Credit: Erin Schaff/The New York Times
Now that she has left us, women must ensure that the progress toward equality was not in vain. It is easy for women to forget that women’s' rights are often threatened. We must diligently protect progress. Changes are slow, and we have made great strides, but there are still many issues that exclusively impact women and are often decided by men. We must never forget where we have come from, and we must guard our rights, so we do not lose what we have gained.
RBG has a powerful story. What a gift to be alive to witness the extraordinary impact she made on our country. Her story will stand the test of time and make a difference in the future. She changed the course of history, and we must continue her work and protect her progress to protect the future for the next generation.
