Late Supreme Court justice and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made a huge impact on millions of people around the world. Her passionate fight inside and outside of the courtroom still continues to inspire millions of people around the world, including many members of the Trinity family.
Social Science teacher Rosanna Cal was deeply intrigued by how Ginsburg defied gender norms during her educational years by attending classes that were highly comprised of men. In fact, Justice Ginsburg went to Harvard Law School where she was one of only eight women at Harvard that had a class of 500 men. Ginsburg also had a major impact on women’s rights to education, as she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project (WRP) which rejected the idea that women and men should be taught differently.
While attending Harvard Law School, Ginsburg had to take care of her husband who was suffering from cancer and raise a family, yet she still managed to graduate. Cal mentioned how many women, including Justice Ginsburg and herself, have had to make the tough decision between pursuing a career or focusing on their personal lives.
RBG always made her thought process very clear and was never afraid to stand up for her thoughts, which is something Cal recognizes as a part of her legacy.
“One thing that I do teach about her legacy is who she was as a human being,” Cal said. “She wanted people to know her thought process, she wanted people to know how she felt about something, even though she was not a part of the majority vote.”
Social Science teacher Robin Grenz discussed RBG’s impact on not just the Supreme Court, but also on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Grenz also said Ginsburg broadened the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
Social Science teacher Michael Hopkins mentioned how important it is to keep her legacy alive due to the impact of her accomplishments on Americans across the country, especially on women.
“I think it’s really important with someone who had that kind of impact to make sure that we take the time to appreciate her,” Hopkins said. “I think about the opportunities, especially the women in my life and the opportunities they have now [that] they might not have had otherwise,”
Grenz mentioned how Ginsburg’s impact and philosophy impacted her as a woman.
“For me, she had a huge impact because I’m a woman,” Grenz said. “I think she taught us the importance of recognizing the humanity that being a person means that you are a part of the system.”
RBG has made a big impact on students as well, including senior Julee Sharma.
“She paved the way for women,” Sharma said. “She inspired me to keep on going with my education because a lot of women were less fortunate.”
Ginsburg and the late Justice Antonin Scalia had one of the most unexpected friendships ever, despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Their relationship has inspired Cal to teach her students the importance of respecting each other’s opinions.
“I teach my students how to listen to each other and just because somebody disagrees with you, doesn’t mean that we can’t respect our opponent,” Cal said.
Grenz agreed, emphasizing the importance of disagreement and dissent in our democratic society.
“You can disagree and you can argue, but do so in a good way,” Grenz said.
