The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) unveiled a stamp honoring late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Monday, where former colleagues, family and friends gathered to celebrate the justice’s legacy both on and off the bench.

“Now a new stamp will honor this outstanding American eminent jurist who gave so much to our country as a scholar, teacher, lawyer, judge and justice,” Supreme Court Justice John Roberts said in opening remarks at the National Portrait Gallery.

The stamp features an oil painting of Ginsburg wearing her black judicial robe and white collar. Postal Service art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with art by Michael J. Deas, which was based on a photograph by Philip Bermingham.

Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 in 2020 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. She served on the Supreme Court for 27 years.

Ginsburg’s granddaughter, Clara Spera, called the stamp “particularly special,” among the tributes to her grandmother.

“Of the many honors my grandmother has received, this stamp is especially fitting and not only because the Supreme Court has had occasion to interpret the postal clause found in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution,” Spera said.

“Indeed, stamps played a large role in my grandmother’s life from long before she ever sat on a federal bench,” she continued, telling stories of Ginsburg as a mother and grandmother.

Roman Martinez IV, the chairman of the USPS Board of Governors, said the stamp honors not only Ginsburg, but in effect, the Supreme Court as well.

“The one particular thing that I admire was her ability to persevere, her ability to fight for what she believed in, but to do it so in a civil way,” Martinez said, who added the country needs more of Ginsburg’s spirits amid sharpening divisions.

“And as we Americans use her forever stamp, let us hope forever remember what binds us together as a nation,” he continued.

Pointing out USPS receives thousands of suggestions each year for new subjects, Martinez said the postal service is “proud” to be issuing a stamp in her honor. Out of the 103 Supreme Court justices who have passed away, only 14, now including Ginsburg, have been on a stamp.

Nina Totenberg, an American legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio, said she interviewed Ginsburg dozens of times throughout the years. She remembered Ginsburg for changing “the way the world is for American women,” while sharing stories of their exchanges.

The first-class Forever stamp will be sold in panes of 20, according to the service. Each stamp costs 66 cents.

  • rusticus@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    When did they have the votes to enshrine Roe? And please be specific about dates and do a little research first.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ouch. Hit with your own projection. Roe vs wade was passed in 1973. By a Republican majority supreme court. Immediately after it’s passage and for more than the next decade Republicans Or democrats either one could have easily passed it into law. But they didn’t. Only in the 1980s with the Resurgence of fascism frightening democrats for all the wrong reasons. Did the Trope of the timid stand for nothing Democrat and the dumber than dirt anti-abortion Republican Trope come into existence.

      By the 1990s it would have started becoming slightly hard to have passed it into law but was still doable. But they didn’t do it. The fashionably fascist Republicans did not have an interest in it since it would not expand their power. And the timid stand for nothing Democrats dare not. Because they saw how handily they were beaten by the fascist in 1980. But that still 20 plus years that it could have been passed to wide legislative and public support.

    • GodlessCommie@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It was never about the votes, it was them not wanting to give up their fundraising cash cow by selling fear that republicans would take it away. Since they never acted when they had the chance, it was taken away.