Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Three City Council members filed a motion to have a statue erected in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Council President Nury Martinez, Councilman David Ryu and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced the motion at the Sept. 22 council meeting, which was adjourned in memory of Ginsburg.
“Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a champion of race and gender equality,” Martinez said. “She was determined, fearless, resilient and a fierce advocate for women’s rights and civil rights. It’s impossible to overstate the incredible impact she had on women across the nation.
“A city of Los Angeles statue honoring her would be a lasting tribute to a woman whose life-changing work will outlive us all.”
Ginsburg, who was 87, died Sept. 18 at her Washington home of complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, the Supreme Court announced.
The second woman to serve on the high court was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The Columbia Law School graduate taught at Rutgers and Columbia and was a fierce courtroom advocate of women’s rights, making her an iconic figure to feminists and earning her the nickname “Notorious RBG.”
While at the helm of the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union in the 1970s, the Brooklyn native brought a series of cases before the court that helped establish constitutional protections against sex discrimination.
“Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer whose life meant a fairer country for us all,” Rodriguez said. “She was the heroine in our nation’s story, and we are forever indebted for her example and service. This statue is a beautiful celebration of Justice Ginsburg’s life and legacy — let her fight fuel our fight for justice for all.
Ryu said Ginsburg triumphed over adversities and fought for equality for all people.
“She believed a more equal world was possible, so she made one,” Ryu said. “She is a feminist and a civil rights icon, and her legacy must live on. A statue to the late justice would inspire future generations of Angelenos to carry the torch forward.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti took to Twitter shortly after Ginsberg’s death was announced Sept. 18, calling her a legal pioneer who fought for women’s rights and gender equality for decades.
“This is a tragedy for all those who believe in our Constitution, who believe in equality and who believe our daughters can grow up to whatever they want to be,” Garcetti said. “This is a profound loss for America.”
The motion seeks funding and location options for the proposed statue from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
