Little Ruthie’s Big Dreams
On a sunny morning in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, a little girl named Ruth sat at her kitchen table, her legs swinging as she read the newspaper. The smell of fresh bread filled the air as her mama, Celia, worked in the kitchen.
"Mama, why can't girls do all the things boys can do?" little Ruth asked, her bright eyes looking up from the paper.
Celia smiled warmly at her daughter. "My dear Ruthie, you can do anything you set your mind to. Don't let anyone tell you different."
Ruth lived in a cozy brick house in Brooklyn with her mom, dad, and big sister Marilyn. Their neighborhood was filled with the sounds of children playing and shopkeepers calling out to customers in friendly voices.
Every Saturday, Mama would take Ruth to the public library. It was Ruth's favorite place in the whole world! While other kids played hopscotch outside, Ruth would sit for hours, lost in stories about brave heroes and smart judges.
"Books are like magic," Ruth would say. "They can take you anywhere!" ✨
But life wasn't always easy for little Ruth. Sometimes, she noticed that boys got to do things that girls couldn't. At school, boys could be class monitors, but girls couldn't. This made Ruth's forehead scrunch up in thought.
"It's not fair," she would tell her mama.
These were some of the important things Mama taught Ruth:
- Be kind to others
- Work hard in school
- Stand up for what's right
- Never give up on your dreams
- Help people who need it
One day, while Ruth was doing her homework, her mama got very sick. Even though Mama had to stay in bed, she never stopped encouraging Ruth to study hard.
"Education is the key to everything, Ruthie," Mama would say, her voice soft but strong.
The night before Ruth's middle school graduation, Mama had to go to the hospital. Ruth wanted to stay with her, but Mama insisted she go to the ceremony.
"Make me proud, my little Ruth," were her mama's last words.
Even though Ruth was very sad when her mama passed away, she remembered everything her mama taught her. She studied extra hard and got the best grades in her class.
At night, Ruth would look out her bedroom window at the twinkling Brooklyn stars. She dreamed big dreams about helping people and making things fair for everyone.
"One day," she whispered to herself, "I'm going to be someone who makes a difference." ⭐
Ruth's father watched his daughter grow stronger every day. "My Ruthie," he would say, "you have your mama's spirit. Nothing can stop you."
And he was right. Little Ruth from Brooklyn was just beginning her amazing journey. She would grow up to become one of the most important judges in America, fighting to make sure girls and boys had the same chances in life.
As Ruth finished elementary school at PS 238, she carried her mama's words in her heart: "Be independent, be brave, and always believe in yourself."
Young Ruth knew that being different wasn't bad – it was what made her special. She would spend her whole life proving that little girls from Brooklyn could do anything they set their minds to.
Dreams Take Flight at Cornell
The autumn leaves danced around Ruth as she stepped onto Cornell University’s beautiful campus in 1950. Her heart beat fast with excitement – she was one of the few women students there!
“Welcome to Cornell!” a friendly voice called out. It belonged to a tall young man with kind eyes and a warm smile. “I’m Martin Ginsburg, but everyone calls me Marty.”
Ruth and Marty became great friends right away. They both loved books, jokes, and talking about big ideas. Marty thought Ruth was the smartest person he’d ever met.
“You’re going to change the world someday, Ruth,” Marty would say with a grin.
College life was different from Brooklyn. Ruth studied harder than ever before. Her favorite things about Cornell were:
- Learning new ideas every day
- Making lifelong friends
- Writing for the school newspaper
- Dancing in ballet shows
- Spending time with Marty
But some people still had old-fashioned ideas. One day, Ruth’s professor said, “Women don’t need to be in college. They should just get married!”
Ruth sat up straighter in her chair. “Watch me do both,” she thought to herself.
In their last year of college, Marty asked Ruth a very special question: “Will you marry me?”
Ruth’s eyes sparkled. “Yes!” she said. “But I’m still going to chase my dreams.”
Marty laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
After graduation, Ruth and Marty got married. Soon after, they had a beautiful baby girl named Jane. Ruth was now a wife, a mother, and a student – and she was great at all three!
“How do you do it all?” her friends would ask.
Ruth would smile and say, “One step at a time, with lots of help from Marty.” ⏰
Marty’s Special Rule: He learned to cook because he said, “Ruth’s time is better spent studying than cooking!”
Even with a baby to take care of, Ruth kept studying hard. She knew she wanted to be a lawyer – someone who helps make sure rules are fair for everyone.
“You can’t be a lawyer and a mother,” some people told her.
But Ruth remembered what her mama taught her: nothing is impossible if you work hard enough.
Every night, after putting baby Jane to bed, Ruth would study until her eyes got tired. Marty would bring her coffee and say, “You’ve got this, Ruth.”
Together, they showed everyone that when people help each other, amazing things can happen. Ruth’s time at Cornell wasn’t just about learning from books – it was about learning that love and support make dreams possible.
As Ruth packed her bags for law school, she looked at baby Jane sleeping peacefully and thought about all the little girls who would come after her. She was going to make sure they had every chance to follow their dreams too.
The next chapter of Ruth’s adventure was about to begin, and she was ready for whatever challenges came her way.
Fighting for Justice at Harvard Law
In 1956, Ruth walked into Harvard Law School with her head held high. The huge library with tall shelves full of law books made her eyes wide with wonder.
But on her first day, the dean called all nine women in her class to a special dinner. Ruth remembers his words clearly:
“Why are you taking a place that could have gone to a man?” he asked them.
Ruth sat up straight and thought to herself, “I’ll show you exactly why I deserve to be here.”
Taking care of baby Jane
Going to class
Studying late at night
Helping Marty when he got sick
Making time for family
Life got really hard when Marty became very sick. He needed special medicine and lots of rest. But Ruth wouldn’t give up! She went to all her classes AND all of Marty’s classes too.
“How do you stay awake?” her friend asked one day.
Ruth smiled and said, “I only sleep for three hours, but I make them count!” ⏰
She wrote down all the class notes for Marty and taught him everything he missed. At night, she would rock baby Jane while reading her law books.
“Dear Jane,” Ruth wrote in her diary, “Someday you’ll understand why Mama works so hard. It’s to make the world better for you.”
Even though it was tough, Ruth did amazingly well in school. She became the first woman to work on the Harvard Law Review, a very special school magazine!
“You write better than most of the boys,” her professor said, surprised.
Ruth just nodded. She knew being good wasn’t enough – she had to be the best.
When Marty got better, he got a job in New York. Ruth needed to move with her family, but Harvard wouldn’t let her finish her degree there. So she went to Columbia Law School instead.
“Sometimes you have to adjust your path,” she told Jane, “but never give up on your destination.”
Fun Fact: Ruth finished top of her class at Columbia! She tied for first place with another student.
But even after doing so well in school, Ruth found that law firms didn’t want to hire women lawyers. One after another, they told her no.
“We’ve never hired a woman before,” they would say.
Ruth would think, “Well, there’s always a first time!”
Finally, a kind judge named Edmund Palmieri gave Ruth her first job as a lawyer. He saw how smart and hardworking she was.
“Judge Palmieri,” Ruth said one day, “thank you for giving me a chance.”
He smiled and replied, “Thank you for proving me right.”
This experience taught Ruth something important: sometimes you have to be the first person to do something, so others can follow after you. She decided then that she would help make the law fair for everyone, especially women.
As Ruth worked late into the night at her new job, she thought about all the doors that had been closed to her. Soon, she would start opening those doors – not just for herself, but for everyone who came after her.
Making Laws Fair for Everyone
The year was 1972, and Ruth had a big idea. She wanted to help make laws fair for both women and men. So she started something special called the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU.
Ruth sat at her desk one morning, looking at letters from people who needed help. She picked up one from a man named Stephen Wiesenfeld.
“My wife died having our baby,” Stephen wrote. “Now I want to stay home to take care of him, but the government won’t help me like they help mothers who lose their husbands.”
Ruth’s eyes lit up. This was exactly the kind of case she was looking for!
“Marty,” she said to her husband that evening, “I think I found another important case.”
“Tell me about it while I make dinner,” Marty replied with a smile. He always cooked because Ruth wasn’t very good at it!
Ruth worked on many important cases. Here are some of her favorites:
• Stephen Wiesenfeld’s case about being a dad who stays home
• Susan Vorchheimer’s case about going to an all-boys school
• Sharron Frontiero’s case about military benefits
• Craig v. Boren about fair rules for everyone
Ruth had a special way of talking to judges. She didn’t yell or get angry. Instead, she told stories that helped them understand why unfair laws hurt everyone. ️
Ruth’s Famous Words: “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
One day, a young lawyer asked Ruth, “How do you win so many cases?”
Ruth smiled and said, “I help the judges see what’s right, one small step at a time.” ⚖️
She won five out of six cases at the Supreme Court! That’s like getting an A+ on almost all your tests.
People started calling Ruth the “Thurgood Marshall of women’s rights” because, like him, she was changing unfair laws to make life better for everyone.
Did you know? Ruth worked so hard that sometimes she only slept for two hours! But she never gave up because she knew her work was important.
By 1980, Ruth had helped change over 300 laws that weren’t fair to women. But she wasn’t done yet! She taught other lawyers how to fight for fairness too.
“Everyone should have the same chances,” Ruth would say. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, or where you come from.”
As more and more people heard about Ruth’s work, they started calling her “The Great Dissenter” because she wasn’t afraid to speak up when she thought something was wrong.
Late one night, as Ruth was working on another case, she looked at a picture of her daughter Jane on her desk. She smiled, knowing that Jane would grow up in a world with more fair laws than when Ruth was young.
But Ruth knew there was still more work to do. Something even bigger was coming her way – a chance to make laws fair from the highest court in America!
The Supreme Court’s Newest Justice
It was a warm summer day in 1993 when Ruth got an exciting phone call. President Bill Clinton wanted to talk to her!
“Judge Ginsburg,” the President said, “I’d like you to be a Supreme Court Justice. Will you help make important decisions for our country?”
Ruth’s heart jumped with joy. This was a dream come true!
When Ruth told Marty the news, he danced around their kitchen. “My brilliant wife is going to be a Supreme Court Justice!” he cheered.
“I hope I can make good choices for our country,” Ruth said softly.
To become a Justice, Ruth had to answer lots of questions from senators. She was calm and smart, just like always. The senators were impressed!
During her interview, Ruth said something very wise: “A judge should be a good listener.”
On August 10, 1993, Ruth put on her black judge’s robe for the first time. Her smile was as bright as the sun! ⚖️
Life as a Supreme Court Justice was busy. Ruth worked hard every day, reading about important cases and writing her thoughts. Sometimes she stayed up very late, but she didn’t mind.
• Wake up early to exercise
• Read lots of papers
• Listen to people tell their stories
• Talk with other justices
• Write important decisions
Ruth became famous for something special – her dissents. That means when she didn’t agree with the other justices, she wasn’t afraid to say why. She wrote her thoughts in clear, strong words.
“My dear Justice Scalia,” she would say to her friend who often disagreed with her, “here’s why I think differently.”
People started calling Ruth “Notorious RBG” – like a rock star of justice! Young people especially loved her because she fought for what was right.
Even when Ruth got sick, she kept working. She would do her exercises and then go right back to reading cases. Nothing could stop her!
“How do you stay so strong?” a young lawyer once asked her.
“I do it for all the people who need someone to speak up for them,” Ruth answered with a gentle smile.
Ruth’s Special Things: She always wore pretty collars with her black robe. Each collar meant something different!
As years went by, Ruth became more than just a justice – she became a hero to many people. Children dressed up like her for Halloween, and artists made pictures of her everywhere.
One evening, as Ruth looked out her office window at the sunset, she thought about all the people she had helped. She remembered that little girl from Brooklyn who dreamed big dreams.
“There’s still so much good work to do,” she whispered to herself, picking up another case to read.
The Power of One Voice
As the sun rose over Washington D.C., Ruth walked up the Supreme Court steps. Her tiny frame cast a giant shadow. She smiled, thinking about all the changes she had helped make.
“Good morning, Justice Ginsburg!” called out a group of young students touring the court. Their eyes sparkled with admiration.
“Hello, future leaders,” Ruth replied warmly. “Would you like to know a secret about making the world better?”
“Yes, please!” the children chorused eagerly.
“Small steps can lead to big changes. Just like climbing a mountain – one step at a time.” ⛰️
• Helped women get equal pay
• Made it easier for girls to play sports
• Fought for fair treatment for everyone
• Showed that girls can do anything boys can do
• Proved that being different can be powerful
Back in her office, Ruth looked at a photo of her mother. “Look how far we’ve come, Mama,” she whispered. “Girls today can dream bigger than ever.”
A young law clerk knocked on her door. “Justice Ginsburg, there’s another case about equal rights.”
“Then we have work to do,” Ruth said, adjusting her glasses. Even at 87 years old, she worked as hard as ever.
People all over the world started following Ruth’s example. They learned that being kind and strong at the same time was powerful.
“Grandma Ruth,” her granddaughter Clara asked one day, “are you proud of everything you’ve done?”
Ruth smiled gently. “I’m proud that I helped make the world a little fairer. But there’s still more work to do.”
When Ruth died in 2020, people everywhere remembered her bravery and wisdom. They promised to continue her work for equality and justice. ⚖️
Today, Ruth’s spirit lives on in courtrooms, classrooms, and hearts around the world. Young boys and girls know they can be anything they want to be, just like that determined little girl from Brooklyn who became the Notorious RBG. ✨
Remember what Ruth taught us: one voice speaking up for what’s right can change the world. And now it’s our turn to keep making things better, one step at a time.