North Texas Daily

On Friday, Sept. 18, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. Ginsberg, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, was known for her fierce fight for women’s rights and was the second female justice to serve. She was a part of several landmark cases across her 27-year career, and “The Notorious RBG” will be remembered for her commitment to equality even amid the gender-based discrimination she faced in her career.

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing to many has symbolized the fall of another defense against fascism and/or Republican domination of all three branches of government. However, she ought to be remembered as a courageous person and groundbreaking feminist, not just a symbol in this year’s politics. She was not perfect, and made some pretty controversial decisions (honestly though, who is and doesn’t?), I fully acknowledge that. That said, she was one of my heroes and role models for years, and she lived a full and vibrant life. She also single-handedly changed the course of women’s rights in the USA. That’s insane and incredible… I mourn the loss of a brilliant woman who made her mark on this country, who taught me to be brave, to keep my head up and to be relentless. I light a candle in remembrance of the notorious RBG, may she rest in peace.” -Crystal Moulden Lindsey, Arts & Life writer

“Thank you RBG for everything you’ve done for America. She wasn’t a perfect human being and her track record as SCOTUS shows that. She defended democracy and equal rights like a champion, and it’s a shame her death will be turned into a political battle.” -Chance Townsend, Opinion editor

“Ruth Bader Ginsberg defied the misogyny she faced in her life, particularly in the 60s as a woman trying to make a name for herself in the legal field. She was shot down time and again but it never chipped away at her resilience, and instead she continued to fight for social justice. She was not a flawless Supreme Court Justice, but she may be one of the closest we’ve gotten to a true champion for equality so far, and her legacy will live on in the generations of women who are able to do the things they can do because of her.” -Haley Arnold, Arts & Life/Dose editor

A timeline of RBG’s notable victories for equality

-1971: Reed v. Reed. Ginsberg co-wrote a briefing before the Supreme Court arguing against an Idaho law provision which favored men to women for estate administrators violated the constitution. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed.

-1972: Ginsberg co-founded the Women’s Rights Project for ACLU.

-1973: Frontiero v. Richardson. Ginsberg convinced the Supreme Court that benefits given by the U.S. military to family of service members cannot be different on the basis of sex.

-1993: Ginsberg was sworn in as the 107th Supreme Court Justice on Aug. 10.

-1999: Olmstead v. LC. Ginsberg wrote the majority opinion, which ruled the state of Georgia had violated the rights of two women who had been unable to live in their communities because of mental disabilities. The women were held in isolation, which Ginsberg wrote “perpetuates assumptions that persons so isolated are incapable or unworthy of participating in community life.”

-1996: United States v. Virginia. Ginsberg voted to strike down Virginia Military Institute’s all-male admissions policy and wrote the majority opinion. “Generalizations about ‘the way women are,’ estimates of what is appropriate for ‘most women,’ no longer justify denying opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description,” she wrote.

-2009: President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Ginsberg championed the cause, demanding fair pay under Title VII after her dissent in 2007’s Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, in which the majority voted in favor of Goodyear despite the fact that they discriminated against Ledbetter for her gender.

-2015: Obergefell v. Hodges. In this landmark case, which grants same-sex couples the right to marry in every state, Ginsberg voted in favor of the legalization of same-sex marriage and called out her fellow justices who wished to uphold regressive values.

-2016: Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Ginsberg voted to strike down Texas’ abortion bill that would have imposed severe restrictions on abortion providers.

-2018: Sessions v. Dimaya. Ginsberg helped to strike down legislation which would have allowed for the expulsion of certain non-citizens from the country.

Featured Illustration by Olivia Varnell