Remembering RBG and fighting for the things we care about

Fellow social workers,  

As you are all aware, we are mourning the loss of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. During these turbulent times she served as a light of hope, and with her passing it is up to us to continue and assure that the light continues to burn.

The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a fighter for gender equality. She worked to strike down the Virginia Military Institute male only restriction and was successful in allowing women to join this important institution. She was credited with helping to inspire the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that was signed into law by President Obama. When it came to abortion, Justice Ginsberg believe that a woman’s body belonged to the woman and the government had no legal jurisdiction. In other words, she was a strong supporter of Roe v Wade.

To quote Justice Ginsberg, “Real change, enduring change happens one step at a time”. It is up to us as social workers to assure that we are taking each step towards change and not giving up. These are hard times and Justice Ginsburg understood the meaning of challenge. We must keep her name in our memory as we move forward in this election year and in the ongoing fight for civil rights and social justice. 

I recently wrote a piece honoring and in memory of Rep. John Lewis and I put forward his quote:

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble to redeem the soul of America 

When put together with the words of Justice Ginsburg we have the clear direction to move our advocacy and activism:

Fight for the things you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

Our guidance from these two very important and heroic Americans, one Black and one Jewish, is as follows:

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble to redeem the soul of America (and in doing so) Fight for the things you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

Justice Ginsburg, we thank you, for you have paved the way for social justice, civil rights, and the path for social workers. 

According to Jewish tradition a person who dies on the Shabbat are considered Tzadik and even more so when it is the eve of the new year. Justice Ginsburg died on the Sabbath, which was also the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Tzadik is a term for those who will be remembered for their righteous deeds.

Justice Ginsberg will be remembered in the Book of Life for her righteousness and her willingness to risk for what is right. May we all take those risks in her memory.

Shana Tova

Maxine Thome, PhD, LMSW, ACSW, MPH
Executive Director, National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter