Sonia Sotomayor Had An Adorable Nickname For Ruth Bader Ginsburg
As if 2020 was not challenging enough, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in November 2020 almost pushed us over the edge.
A champion and iconic figure of women's rights and gender equality, Ginsburg's death shook the world as people on both sides of the aisle reacted to the loss of the 87-year-old Supreme Court justice. The loss was deeply felt by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor who was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama in May 2009 (via Biography). Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in a statement issued by the Supreme Court, "I will miss Ruth greatly. She welcomed me to the Court with a warmth I could not have expected, and I came to feel a special kinship with her. She was someone whose wisdom, kindness, and unwavering support I could always rely on. I will forever cherish the moments we shared."
And those memories span several years as the women nurtured a friendship outside the courtroom. It comes as no surprise, then, that Sotomayor had an adorable nickname for Ginsburg.
Sonia Sotomayor nicknamed RBG 'The Steel Magnolia'
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's reputation of being tough and ready to take on anyone on the dais, mixed with her overall likeability — remember when she admitted to drinking wine before the 2015 State of the Union address? (via NPR) — may be what led to Justice Sotomayor's very fitting nickname for her friend.
In a 2019 appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Justice Sotomayor shared how Ginsburg helped her "every step of the way." She told Meyers, "She's an amazing, brave, woman and strong. I call her 'The Steel Magnolia' — delicate on the outside but she has an iron rod behind her."
This nickname is 100% on point. Add "The Steel Magnolia" to the long list of nicknames Ruth Bader Ginsburg had bestowed upon her by the public, including Notorious RBG. Memes, clothing, and even face masks of RBG with a crown and her infamous dissent collar continue to pay tribute to RBG's legacy of a petite, soft-spoken woman who fought tirelessly to fix gender inequalities (per MPR News).
It's clear that Justice Sotomayor and RBG had a true friendship established on respect and commonalities. Even one-time President Donald Trump was threatened by them, going as far as to demand the women recuse themselves from all cases related to him, as reported by Teen Vogue. With all the time they spent together, it makes us wonder if RBG had a nickname for Justice Sotomayor. While we may never know, there is one thing we do know: We miss you, RBG.