The world lost a true icon a few weeks ago when the Supreme Court announced Ruth Bader Ginsburg died due to complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas. 

Ginsburg pushed to serve on the Supreme Court as long as she could and became an icon while doing so.

Ginsburg had always been a champion for gender equality since the beginning of her journey in law. One of nine women in her Harvard Law class, Ginsburg worked hard to be respected and treated equally among her male peers.

In the 70s, she litigated sex discrimination cases for the ACLU and became instrumental in launching its Women’s Rights Project in 1973. A year later she served as the general counsel of the ACLU until 1980.

Ginsburg then began her career as a judge when she was appointed to the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1980 by President Carter. 13 years later, she accepted the nomination for the Supreme Court by President Clinton and took her place on the bench as the second woman ever to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court.

But her impact as a feminist icon does not stop there.

Further into her tenure as justice of the Supreme Court, Ginsburg became a political and pop culture icon, from being the focus of sketches on Saturday Night Live to being dubbed as the Notorious RBG – a spin on the rapper Notorious BIG’s name.

Her rock-star influence can be attributed to her strength and being a pioneer for women’s rights. Inspiring women – young and old – Ginsburg strove towards promoting equality, supporting programs like DACA and being a part of the landmark decision for marriage equality.

Ginsburg was dedicated to her job as justice of the Supreme Court, never wanting to miss a day of hearings. Even when she was fighting for her own life, she was always present to deliver her opinions.

The announcement of Ginsburg’s death impacted thousands of people and sparked immediate discussion on who will replace her spot in the highest court of the country. 

As the most critical presidential election is quickly approaching, the GOP is wanting to fill the hole in the Supreme Court as soon as possible.

Considering that the Republicans have the majority in the Senate makes Ginsburg’s death an easy opportunity to hold hearings and successfully confirm President Trump’s choice, Amy Coney Barrett.

The GOP’s push for filling the Supreme Court gives us no time to properly mourn the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

Additionally, the party is contradicting their own words from 2016, when they denied Obama’s nomination to replace late Justice Scalia because they wanted the people to have a say in the next Supreme Court justice.

If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court, the doors Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked so hard to open and the strides she made for human rights might be slammed shut.

The possibility of Coney Barrett being confirmed will also make the Supreme Court unbalanced, creating a 6-3 conservative majority. This will allow the power to lean heavily toward the conservative viewpoint.

This may lead to the reevaluation of DACA, which was recently protected by the Supreme Court from being ended by the current administration. A heavily conservative court also may influence decisions related to healthcare – and more importantly, reproductive rights – both of which Ginsburg supported.

There is a lot to think about  following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So much is at stake during this critical period of our nation. 

We must remember the life she lived and how she became a part of history fighting for equal rights. Ginsburg was a pioneer and a feminist icon who inspired many generations of women to advocate and stand up for equality. She will forever be the Notorious RBG.