The Notorious RBG

“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” Upon her death on September 18th, 2020, wife, mother, and most notoriously, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, dubbed RBG, left her legacy on United States history. A hero to women across the world, RBG has broken barriers granting women across the country complete authority over their own lives, something almost seen as taboo before her time.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a member of Cornell University’s alumni. Going on to graduate first in her class from Columbia Law School after transferring from Harvard Law she was one of the few women in her class. From her educational track record, RBG is phenomenal, but what she went on to do throughout her whole career has made a lasting impact on how we live today.

Starting off her career as a civil procedure professor at Rutgers and Columbia Law, RBG once again was a lone wolf in a sea of men who occupied her area of expertise. She was the first female tenured professor at the latter law school. Empowered to make a difference as a woman in law, RBG co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, winning hundreds of cases that gave justice to women across the country while aiding the gender equality movement and battling gender discrimination.

Some considered this work her gateway to the Supreme Court. RBG was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 where she served until 1993 when she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the Supreme Court. She was only the second female Supreme Court Justice in history.

During her time on the Supreme Court, she continued to advocate for many other diverse groups alongside her passion for women’s rights and gender equality. From the average American worker to the LGBTQ+ community to the members of the Native American community of the U.S., RBG used her judgment to serve justice to America.

How has RBG affected students at Maui High School? Think of gender equality in classrooms. Her monumental work alongside Maui High alumna and fellow female revolutionary Senator Patsy Mink surrounding Title IX, a federal law condemning judgment on the basis of sex, have further barred gender inequality in schools across the country, guaranteeing equality in education no matter the gender. Not to mention her involvement in the legalization of gay marriage in 2015, fostering a safer and more accepting atmosphere for LGBTQ+ students and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.

Outside of her time within the Supreme Court, RBG’s tendency to break barriers and open gateways for women has empowered women worldwide to take charge of their own lives and strive towards success, despite previous social standards. Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s presence will last forever in U.S History as a revolutionary for gender equality and the women’s rights movement. Even beyond her death, America will remember her as the Notorious RBG.

For those who want more insight to her life, here’s a link to a documentary about RBG: