She was first a trailblazing attorney for women’s rights, and then only the second woman appointed to the high court. She left us with powerful words and is an inspiration to follow. Here’s a few of her most famous quotes:
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.”
“You can’t have it all, all at once.”
“If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.”
“Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“People ask me sometimes… ‘When will there be enough women on the court?’ And my answer is: ‘When there are nine.’”
“Every now and then it helps to be a little deaf…That advice has stood me in good stead. Not simply in dealing with my marriage, but in dealing with my colleagues.”
“If you’re a boy, and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that’s okay… we should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be and not be held back by artificial barriers.”