Michiganders called to action, activism in wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death
"People ask me sometimes, when will there be enough women on the court? And my answer is: 'When there are nine.' People are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that." --
Ginsburg was an important voice for justice and equality, said Hopps, who was the founder of Women's March Michigan and is a board member of Woman2Woman in
"When I heard
"We were teary eyed, and I was like, 'OK, RBG would want us to finish this call and finish this training.' So we did as much as we could and then finished the call to give each other room. It was so sad."
A feminist for all feminists, Ginsburg became an icon for women's rights and civil rights in nearly 30 years on the
As the nation prepares to lay Ginsburg to rest -- her casket will be outside the
As only the second woman to be seated on the nation's highest court, Ginsburg spoke often about the discrimination she faced as a Jewish woman in the years leading up to her 1993 appointment.
In her time on the court, she voted to support gay marriage, equal pay for women, to allow women to enroll in the previously all-male
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Ginsburg wrote fiery dissents and wore colorful and elaborate jabots over her black robes that became known as dissent collars. Her face turned into a symbol of a movement following the election of President
She got the nickname Notorious RBG and her likeness appeared in memes on social media, on protest signs, T-shirts and purses. And in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, RBG face masks have become popular.
Ginsburg's death, Hopps said, should galvanize feminists to do all they can to get out the vote in this upcoming presidential election.
"The stakes have never been higher," Hopps said. "And we really ask of you, as activists, if you have a voice and you have the privilege to use your voice, you have to use it right now. … This is the most pivotal moment, I think, in our modern history.
"We are RBG. Her spirit lives on in us, in our actions and our demands for equality. I have been calling many senators, both Republican and Democratic, asking them to really consider honoring RBG's wish to be replaced by the next president."
A call to action head
"As women, we'll be called all sorts of colorful names when we are assertive," said Taylor, 39, who also is an adjunct professor at the
"She definitely set the example that is OK to be bold and assertive because that's what it takes to make change, and that's what we're doing out here. We're change-makers.
"Women in her time were not that bold and vocal about political issues," said Taylor, "and so it is motivating for myself, and it should be for other young women to take that torch … to create an impact and have a presence, like she did, to motivate other women to take that up and carry it on."
Running for election, she said, is one way for her to heed that call. So is working to get out the vote.
"This is a call to action right now," Taylor said. "We don't have any time to wait. The call is now."
A time to step up
Desiré
She was in
"I felt a sense of sadness," she said, "but then after a few minutes of processing, ... the best way I could describe it was like this fire in my belly," said
"It was a point of reflection that here again, we lost another icon, someone that we've culturally looked to to be a champion of justice. … It just made me feel like it's a time to step up and to do more. … There are more than enough of us who are capable of stepping up, if we only will do it."
While the death of a leader like Ginsburg is heart-wrenching for her admirers,
"I would like to double down and say we can't afford to lose hope," she said. "Hope is what will inspire you on the days where it feels hard as hell.
"Look at the history of
Her death, she said, "just made me want to like dig down deeper and live a life of commitment … to keep trying to make a difference."
Inspiring the next generation of leaders and activists also is important to
"It'll be good conversation for the future, and if the world changes, I hope it will inspire them to lead," said
'A role model for everything'
She stood outside at dusk Saturday, and placed a picture of Ginsburg on the lawn outside the courthouse with a floral arrangement behind it.
She and a small group of others lit candles beside signs that said, "She brought us this far, now it's our turn," and "May her memory be a revolution" in memory of the late justice.
Harte said it felt like the least she could do. Ginsburg, she said, blazed a path for working women and set an example for what's possible.
"When
Gender discrimination was all too real for Harte, who said a high school teacher once told her that she was only going to college to get her "
"I had employers say things to me. I was pinched on the butt and there was no recourse," Harte said. "Watching somebody stand up for women's rights over the last 30-40 years has been huge.
"She always said, 'It doesn't matter where you grew up, or what you do, you can be anything you want. You've just got to work hard and you got to be true to yourself.' And she was always true to herself, and that's what I loved the most about her."
If she's elected to the state's highest court, Welch said Ginsburg is the justice on the nation's highest court she wishes to emulate most.
"I went to law school from '92 to '95," she said. "She was actually confirmed while I was in law school, and it was at that time a very big deal to have a female justice considered for the court at a time when there was
"That was … a big topic of discussion and excitement," Welch said. "She was already a brilliant judge when she arrived at the court but she obviously went on to really develop a voice that resonated and ... for a generation deeply impacted jurisprudence in this nation."
At this time of deep political division in the country, Welch said it's important to consider Ginsburg's close friendship with one of the most conservative of the court's justices, the late
"
"That way of living could go a long way at this moment in time. She was kind of a role model for everything."
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