Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, born on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York was an American chancellor who was persistent in fighting for justice and against gender discrimination. In her early life and education, Ginsburg earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1954 and then attended Harvard Law School, where she was one of the few women in her class. To be specific, she was one of only nine women in a class of about 500 men and the dean of the school asked her why she was taking away the spot from a man. Later, she transferred to Columbia Law School, where Ginsburg graduated at the top of her class however struggled and faced difficulties in getting a job due to gender bias. Even if her top academic achievements definitely showed her abilities, she wasn’t able to get hired just because of the fact that she is a woman.

Despite the challenges that Ginsburg has faced, in 1963, she eventually positioned in teaching at Rutgers Law School. At this start, this is when Ginsburg’s commitment in gender equality started to build up. She co-edited the first law school casebook on sex discrimination titled, “Sex-Based Discrimination: Text, Cases, and Materials.” 10 years from then, in 1972, Ginsburg co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). It focused on challenging the laws that discriminated on the basis of gender as well as convincing others with the importance of gender equality issues. At the Women’s Human Rights Litigation, Ginsburg represented women’s voices by stating the history of how females were treated. She included these words: second-class citizens, branded inferior, subordinate, dependent, and a waste of human resources, always hidden or under men.

After that, in 1993, Ginsburg was nominated as the Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, making her the second woman to serve on the Court. With that, she presented and raised numerous important opinions, advocating for civil liberties, gender equality, and individual rights and bringing up discussions and debates. Overall, with all of the challenges and achievements that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has experienced and created, she became a cultural icon, earning the nickname of Notorious RBG which symbolizes her commitment to justice and gender equality.

Personally, Alyssa Han really respects Ruth Bader Ginsburg after she watched the RBG documentary as she took the courage and raised women’s voices to protect their rights. Because of all of her amazing efforts and speeches that impacted society, women’s rights and interests have risen significantly. Alyssa admires her life and believes that still today, Ginsburg inspires generations like her with the impact on gender equality and civil rights. Alyssa gained more determination in moving Hidden Figures forward.

Citations:

• Houck, Aaron M., and Marilyn J. Bartlett. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Biography & Facts.” Britannica, 27 April 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruth-Bader-Ginsburg. Accessed 5 August 2023.