Bronze statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg unveiled in Brooklyn
NEW YORK – A bronze statue honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg was unveiled Friday in her native borough of Brooklyn.
The date was chosen to commemorate the 88th birthday of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice, who died Sept. 18, 2020, after serving 27 years on the nation’s highest court. The statue’s unveiling also coincided with Women’s History Month, ABC News reported.
The statue will permanently reside at the City Point development in downtown Brooklyn, WPIX reported.
“In her lifetime, Justice Ginsburg championed countless crucial causes. This statue is just a small reminder that we all need to set the highest possible standards for ourselves and society,” Chris Conlon, executive vice president and CEO of Acadia Realty, said in a statement when the statue was announced in October. “From the people who work here, to the diverse shoppers and shopping at City Point, everyone feels welcome, equal, and respected. We are honored to have this great statue grace our property, and to bring Justice Ginsburg’s ‘path marking’ spirit back to Brooklyn to inspire us for generations.”
On Friday, New York State Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn joined Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for the unveiling, ABC News reported.
>> Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead at 87
“I am humbled and honored to ring in the joyous occasion,” Hermelyn said. “Women are underrepresented in the cultural landscape of our city and it’s about time we change that.”
Ginsburg was a strong advocate for women’s rights as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union during the 1970s, NPR reported.
Adams has declared Monday, which was Ginsburg’s birthday, as Justice Ginsburg Day, NBC News reported.
“RBG was clearly a symbol of what’s great about this country and how, when we are inclusive, we can stop the level of exclusiveness that is pervasive throughout this country,” Adams said during Friday’s ceremony.
Artists Gillie Schatter and Marc Schattner designed the statue last year in consultation with Ginsburg, according to NBC News.
Last month, the New York City renamed the Brooklyn Municipal Building for Ginsburg, The New York Times reported.
Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court in August 1993 by President Bill Clinton, filling the seat held by Byron “Whizzer” White. She was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court.
