By Jordan Toney
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a lifelong trailblazer for human rights and gender equality. Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in a low-income, working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn. Ginsburg’s mother, who was a major influence in her life, taught her the value of independence and a good education. At James Madison High School in Brooklyn, Ginsburg worked diligently and excelled in her studies. Sadly, her mother struggled with cancer throughout Ginsburg’s high school years and died the day before Ginsburg’s graduation. Ginsburg earned her bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University in 1954, finishing first in her class. She married law student Martin D. Ginsburg that same year. The early years of their marriage were challenging, as their first child, Jane, was born shortly after Martin was drafted into the military in 1954. He served for two years and, after his discharge, the couple returned to Harvard, where Ginsburg also enrolled.
At Harvard, she encountered a very male-dominated, hostile environment, with only eight other females in her class of more than 500. The women were criticized by the law school’s dean for taking the places of qualified males. She graduated first in her class in 1959. Despite her outstanding academic record, however, Ginsburg continued to encounter gender discrimination while seeking employment after graduation.Prior to becoming Supreme Justice, Ginsburg took on many jobs. One of the many being a research associate and associate director, working on the project of International Procedure at Columbia Law School. Ginsburg also became a Professor at Columbia University School of Law and Rutgers University School of Law. She was the first woman to be hired with tenure at Columbia University School of Law. During the 1970s, she also served as the director of the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, for which she argued six landmark cases on gender equality before the U.S. Supreme Court. She served as a general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union as well as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California. She also became Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, Ginsburg also believed that the law was gender-blind and all groups were entitled to equal rights. One of the five cases she won before the Supreme Court involved a portion of the Social Security Act that favored women over men because it granted certain benefits to widows but not widowers.
On August 10, 1993, Ginsburg became Supreme Court justice. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton. Throughout her life, Ginsburg accomplished many things such as being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and receiving the American Bar Association’s highest honor, the ABA medal. Ginsburg served on the DC federal appeals court with Justice Antonin Scalia. A close and personal friendship emerged despite their political views. With Scalia being conservative and Ginsburg liberal, they always disagreed politically but left room for a genuine friendship.
Unfortunately on September 18, 2020 Ginsburg died due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was then buried in a private ceremony after being the first woman to lie in state in the US Capitol on September 29, 2020. “She never failed, she was fierce,” Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden said when asked on her passing. President Donald Trump also relayed his sadness towards her death. “Wow. I didn’t know that. You are telling me that for the first time. She led an amazing life. What else can you say? She was an amazing woman whether you agreed or not. She was an amazing woman who led an amazing life. I am actually saddened to hear that.” Trump said.