You hear her name, and you know who she is.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) was one of the most prominent figures to ever serve on the Supreme Court, and she has become an inspiring figure to me.

On Sept. 18, 2020, she was taken from this earth, but she has left her mark on a generation of women.

It’s women like RBG that give me the courage to enter a male dominated field.

For the longest time, I was scared of wanting to be a journalist. In high school I had already faced harassment from men in our sports broadcasting club. I knew how to run all the equipment and troubleshoot like no other. However, they dismissed me for any major job. I was thought of as less just because I was female.

Going into college, I was scared it was going to get worse. The “Me Too” movement had gained traction while I was in high school. I had seen the highs and lows of the movement. I saw NBC trying to hide Matt Lauer’s sexual assault cases, and they eventually had to fire him.

Events like this popped up over many news broadcasting corporations, but with Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in as a justice, my hope of being treated as an equal in my future field faded. 

I witnessed history repeating itself. Christine Blasey Ford’s case mirrored that of Anita Hill. Both women’s sexual assault cases were dismissed by the senate.

It was this case that brought the supreme court to my full attention. I had known of RBG for a long time, but her impact on my life wasn’t made known until her passing.

RBG was one of nine women at Harvard’s Law school when she attended. If I were in her place, I wouldn’t have the courage to go to a college like that. But she did. RBG dared to achieve.

It is because of trailblazers like her that I can be treated as an equal in college. Without trailblazers like her, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today.

When I looked down at my phone on that fateful day, I grieved when I read about RBG’s death. I felt sad and scared about the future of the country.

But then I saw this quote by RBG:

“Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.”

 So, I pushed that fear and sadness aside, and I started thinking about her life.

She was a titan in the Supreme Court.

She was a rockstar amongst lawmakers.

She was an icon amongst feminists.

Most importantly, she had courage to make change.

I think that is what we must all do in these hectic times. We must have courage to make change. We must have courage to be our genuine self. We must have courage to uphold the law and change the law when necessary.

She was not afraid, she was brave. And now we must be brave as a nation. This would ultimately honor Ruth Bater Ginsburg’s legacy.