On Friday, September 18, a collective sense of grief filled many American citizens after news of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released. Justice Ginsburg passed away at her home due to complications from pancreatic cancer. In recent years she had fallen victim to many health struggles, including a fall that resulted in fractured ribs and multiple cancer diagnoses. In spite of her ailing health, Justice Ginsburg returned to the bench after every complication she faced.
A trailblazer for women in the legal field, Ginsburg graduated top of her class from Columbia Law in 1959, and in 1993 was appointed to the position of Supreme Court Justice by former president Bill Clinton. During her time on the court, she was best known for her fiery dissents, prompt punctuality at hearings, and most importantly, her tireless work in the fight for gender equality. One of her biggest achievements was helping to give financial independence to women in the 1970’s. Justice Ginsburg helped ensure that women would be able to create bank accounts and receive mortgages without the need of a man’s signature. These accomplishments caused Ginsburg to gain quite the following, eventually leading to the creation of her well-known nickname, “Notorious RBG”.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s influence on the United States will most definitely inspire future generations of women who yearn for the same forms of equality she spent the entirety of her career fighting for.