CITY COUNCIL HONORS THE LIFE & LEGACY OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG

In Allan Domb, Cherelle Parker, Cindy Bass, Council News, Darrell L. Clarke, Isaiah Thomas, Jamie Gauthier, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez, News by admin

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PHILADELPHIA – City Council introduced a resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Councilmember Allan Domb sponsored the legislation, along with the co-sponsorship of all councilmembers.

The resolution honors her instrumental legal career, service to the United States of America and her restless work to challenge gender discrimination and ensure equal protections for all Americans.

Councilmember Allan Domb, At-Large

“Justice Ginsburg was respected nationally her for belief in equal rights for all Americans and her dissenting opinions in cases related to civil rights, equal pay, contraceptives and voting rights helped lift her to that of a cultural icon in our country.”

Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large)

“She was a fighter and champion for women’s rights,” said Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson. “Her life and legacy taught us to never give up for what we believe is right. She succeeded in the face of overwhelming adversity throughout her life career. The most enduring way to honor her is to take up her work as our own and carry her fight for equality into the future.”

Council President Darrell Clarke (5th District)

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not believe any American was a second class citizen. Discrimination on the basis of sex, race, or orientation violates our laws and our values, and Justice Ginsburg dedicated her life to that promise. She made every young girl in America believe she too could achieve her dreams. May her memory be both a blessing and a call to action for all those who believe in a free, inclusive democracy.”

Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez (7th District)

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated her career to the persistent fight for real, enduring change and used her abilities to help repair the injustice she saw. As the great dissenter, she articulated a vision of a more equitable and just nation that we still aspire to. Her legacy reminds us to honor our common humanity and to seek out ways to serve the common good.”

Councilmember Cherelle Parker (9th District)

“Every young girl in America has more of a chance to fulfill her dreams thanks to Justice Ginsburg. You fought valiantly, and we learned and gained so much from your leadership. Now it is our turn to pick up the baton you carried so heroically and run with your legacy. Rest in peace.”

Councilmember Derek Green (At-Large)

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an icon long before she realized it herself. She remained at the forefront of the modern-day fight for equality, not just for women, but for every single American until the very end. This nation is forever indebted to her for her tireless service. RBG will stand as a beacon and symbol of justice for generations to come.”

Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District)

“The late U.S. Supreme court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero, dissenter and icon. “She once said ‘women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.’ Rest in power Justice Ginsburg.”

Councilmember Cindy Bass (8th District)

“I want to share my sincerest condolences to the family of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a giant on the Supreme Court who shined with a bright and radiant legal mind, and who dedicated her career to justice and the ideals of liberty and equality, to keep our country moving forward. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated her life to serving our country with vigor & integrity. She facilitated change, spoke up for the unheard, and her responsibility to those that will come after will live on in her decisions that made America more fair & impartial for everyone.”

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (At-Large)

“Judges are our last line of defense for justice and equality. From law school through the end, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought tirelessly to make the world a better place for everyone. We’ll keep fighting for her.”

Councilmember Bobby Henon (6th District)

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg believed in the power of dissenting and disagreeing without being disagreeable. During these trying times, her life and legacy remind us to remain steadfast in hope and to treat one another with kindness and respect, even when we disagree.”

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District)

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero, full stop. As a jurist, she forged new paths for women in public service, and devoted her career to the pursuit of equity for all people under the law. She has served – and will continue to serve – as an inspiration to all who value freedom and justice in our country.”

City Council’s resolution highlighted several of Ginsburg’s career moments since the beginning:

– serving as a law clerk for Hon. Edmund Palmieri, Judge of the United States District Court from 1959 to 1961

– her leadership with the Women’s Rights Project of The American Civil Liberties Union

– being appointed by President Jimmy Carter as Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals

– accepting the nomination of President Bill Clinton to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, marking the first Jewish female and second female justice to serve on the high court.

In addition, the resolution recognized Ginsburg’s 1996 suit against the Virginia Military Institute, arguing that the gender-exclusive admissions policy violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. In a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court stipulating women could no longer be excluded from the state-funded school based on their gender, she wrote the majority opinion stating, “generalizations about ‘the way women are,’ estimates of what is appropriate for most women, no longer justify denying the opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description.

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Photo: Steve Petteway/Supreme Court of the U.S., used under Creative Commons license

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