Students are reflecting on the death and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who became known as a legal, cultural and feminist symbol throughout her career. Justice Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 on Friday, Sept. 18, from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her family at her home in Washington, D.C.

Justice Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). Her sharp and well-built dissents earned her the title of being the “Notorious RBG.” 

Justice Ginsburg was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. In recent years, she was the senior member of the Supreme Court, consistently voting progressive on issues including immigration, same-sex marriage, abortion rights, voting rights, health care, and affirmative action. 

“Her death marks one of the greatest losses in American history. Ginsburg was a champion of love and Gender Equality,” said Raini Bozarth ’24.   

“Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they wear robes. People saw her as an unpromising icon, who was a giant among men that fought for the civil rights of Americans,” said CNN Journalist Don Lemon.

President Donald Trump is considering candidates to nominate for Justice Ginsburg’s vacant seat on the Supreme Court. 

Addressing the death of Ginsburg, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday evening, “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” However, this move by the Republican party has come under-fire as hypocritical, as the Republican-led Senate blocked President Barack Obama’s SCOTUS nominations during the election season following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Students of the Dickinson College community shared their gratitude for Justice Ginsburg’s work. Jena Blair ’22 said, “She used the patriarchal system to show inequalities on the basis of perceived sex and gender.”  

Sydney Lowey ’24 said that Justice Ginsburg served as a champion for all women.“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a childhood hero of mine, growing up Jewish in an area that was predominantly conservative caused me to have many doubts in my faith and identity,” Lowey said. “Seeing a woman of similar identity to my own, helped me find my own strength.”