A statue of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was unveiled Friday morning in her native Brooklyn borough of New York City.
The unveiling comes during Women's History Month and just days before Ginsburg would have turned 88 on March 15, which Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has declared Justice Ginsburg Day.
"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," he said.
Ginsburg, a lifelong champion of women's rights and a fierce advocate for gender equality, died from pancreatic cancer in September. Following her passing, then-President Donald Trump nominated a third conservative justice, Amy Coney Barrett, to the court during his term, giving it a 6-3 conservative majority.
Ginsburg attended Cornell University and both Harvard and Columbia law schools before becoming judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. She was nominated to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993. Viewed as a feminist icon, she broke countless barriers, dedicating her legal career to challenging laws and regulations that discriminated on the basis of sex.
Artists Gillie and Marc Schattner designed the statue last year in consultation with Ginsburg, who gave her stamp of approval prior to its production.
The statue will be open to the public for scheduled viewings in City Point, a development in downtown Brooklyn, seven days a week. Up to six people can reserve each 20-minute time slot and must abide by Covid-19 guidelines, such as wearing masks and social distancing, according to City Point.
