A Champion of Equality has Passed: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday evening at age 87 due to complications related to pancreatic cancer. She passed surrounded by her family in her Washington, D.C. home. Her granddaughter stated that her last words were, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” A private interment will be held at Arlington Cemetery.

Supreme Court Justice. Feminist. Cultural Icon. Ginsburg was just the second woman (the first having been Sandra Day O’Connor) to serve as a Justice. Rising to mainstream fame in recent years, Ginsburg has become a symbol for powerful women everywhere. A leader among leaders, Ginsburg served as the de facto head of the four liberal-leaning Justices (including Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Stephen B. Breyer) and pioneered many critical Supreme Court rulings. 

Ginsburg dedicated her career to many issues, but none as prominent and as passionate as her bid to end gender discrimination in America. The 2018 film “On the Basis of Sex” captured this groundbreaking aspect of her career, centering on Ginsburg’s actions to ensure equality for all sexes in the United States. She often cited the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection clause in her cases, and she slowly worked away at various discriminatory laws in America, propelling the nation towards true gender equality.

The loss of Ginsburg is a monumental loss for America. With her death comes the grief of millions of Americans, and an uncertain future for the Supreme Court. Although no matter the outcome, remember the words of Ginsburg herself: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”