IANGEL mourns the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who inspired so many women and girls in her fight for equality and justice. As a feminist icon, trailblazer and role model, Justice Ginsburg advanced women’s human rights in innumerable ways. To express our grief and our hope, IANGEL founder Nancy Newman composed this poem:
With heavy hearts, and anguish high
To RBG, we say goodbye
So brilliant, modest, strong, and brave
And for all of history she gave
Us equal rights by law protected
And by our sex no more rejected
Our hearts are aching for she we lost
But we also know the immeasurable cost
Of what she stood for, wrought, achieved
To now be so widely grieved
And yet in loss our hope remains
To preserve our rights, and make further gains
For she would not want us to mourn
By shrinking back in sorrow torn
No, it is her gift and legacy
That we must all stand tall and free
And find new strength in our own voice
For justice, equity, and choice
O mothers, fathers, daughters, sons
You and all are now the ones
On whom her legacy bestowed
The rights to stand, and bloom, and grow
We must now rise and carry on
As if we were she, although she’s gone
Let’s build new power, in her memory
Inspired and grateful for RBG.
© Nancy J. Newman 9/20/2020