“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
For our latest launch, we have been greatly inspired by The Notorious RBG. Appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, she quickly emerged as a champion for progress, consistently delivering progressive votes on some of the most divisive social issues of the time, from abortion rights to same-sex marriage to affirmative action and beyond.[1] The retirement of Sandra Day O’Connor in 2007 left her as the only woman on the court, and it was in this moment that she found her voice and used it, delivering dissent after dissent from the bench with the intention of indicating the intensity of the minority’s disagreement with the majority.[2] It was during this time that her name gained the historical link to the words, “I dissent.”
In 2015, she sided with the majority in two rulings in as many days, preserving a key component of the Affordable Care Act in King v. Burwell and legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states in Obergefell v. Hodges.[3] Across over 27 years as a Supreme Court Justice she received myriad accolades; from her induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002 to being named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes in 2009 and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015, her tremendous influence on the law and her enduring effort to protect human rights cannot be ignored.
In 1972, Ruth Bader Ginsburg founded the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, leading its efforts until her appointment to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1980. During her tenure, RBG and her staff achieved crucial legal victories in the area of women’s rights, helping to lay the groundwork for the future of the field.[4]
To honor her legacy, we have decided to commit 100% of proceeds from this drop to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). The ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly to safeguard human rights in the United States. For 100 years as of 2020, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, defending and preserving the individual rights and liberties that our Constitution and laws guarantee all people in the United States. Since its founding, the ACLU has defended civil liberties without compromise based on political considerations.
In true RBG fashion, the ACLU is a champion for parts of the population that have historically been denied their rights, with a significant amount of their work in the present day focusing on equality for people of color, women, gay and transgender people, prisoners, immigrants, and people with disabilities.[5]
This year has been unprecedented, but we’re not in it alone. Together, we can facilitate change - real, enduring change; we can, and will, build a better future for the world, one step at a time.
Check out the Notorious Sweater, with sleeve quote detail in RBG's actual handwriting. And, limited edition RBG stickers come in every order (while supplies last).
Have a cause that's dear to your heart? We'd love to hear your story. We are proud to support charitable partners that are doing the work to strengthen our communities.
[1] Biskupic, Joan, and Ariane de Vogue. “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dead at 87.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-dead/index.html.
[2] Greenhouse, Linda. “In Dissent, Ginsburg Finds Her Voice at Supreme Court.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/world/americas/31iht-court.4.5946972.html.
[3] “Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Sept. 2020, www.biography.com/law-figure/ruth-bader-ginsburg.
[4] “Tribute: The Legacy Of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/other/tribute-legacy-ruth-bader-ginsburg.
[5] “ACLU History.” American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org/about/aclu-history.