Contact: Michelle Loo, [email protected]
Washington, DC - APALA celebrates the life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first female tenured professor at Columbia Law School and the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, by renewing our commitment to fight for justice at the ballot box and the highest court in the nation.
APALA National Executive Board Member and appointee from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Yunup Dennis Chong said, “We lost a legend and legal icon on Friday. The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a great loss in an already overwhelming year of loss. Affectionately known as ‘“Notorious R.B.G.,’” Justice Ginsburg was notorious for good reason; she was an advocate and fighter, not just for women's rights, but for equality and rights for all.”
Justice Ginsburg once said, "If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair the tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That's what I think a meaningful life is- living not for oneself, but for one's community."
APALA National Secretary and AFT Washington Vice President of Human Rights Tracy Lai said, “We will remember Justice Ginsburg’s legacy as a principled, dignified defender of justice for all by continuing to turn out AAPIs for the 2020 election and organizing to hold our elected representatives accountable to our demands and needs. Under no circumstances should the Senate consider a replacement for Justice Ginsburg until after inauguration. Instead the Senate’s priority should be taking urgent and bold action to help unemployed and working people who are reeling from the coronavirus pandemic by passing the HEROES Act.”
AAPI working people need a fair-minded justice like Ginsburg: a principled, dignified defender of justice who will utilize their position on the bench to safeguard civil rights. We need a Supreme Court that recognizes and protects the rights of all of us. With just more than 40 days away from Election Day, the next president must nominate Justice Ginsburg’s replacement after the people have spoken.
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The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, most of whom are union members, and our allies advancing worker, immigrant and civil rights. Since its founding in 1992, APALA has played a unique role in addressing the workplace issues of AAPI union members and workers and in serving as the bridge between the broader labor movement and the AAPI community. Visit APALAnet.org to learn more or find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.