As a law professor, the late U.S. Supreme Court justice won her first landmark gender-discrimination case in Denver’s Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1972, when she represented a single man who was denied an IRS deduction as the caretaker for his elderly mother — although women were eligible for such deductions. While Ginsburg had many subsequent groundbreaking victories, Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which determined that discrimination on the basis of sex constitutes a violation of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, became the centerpiece of the 2018 film On the Basis of Sex — even if the film's scenes allegedly based in Denver didn't bear much resemblance to the Mile High City.
The History Colorado events will definitely be set in this city. They begin on September 27, when Denver artist Adri Norris starts a community-centered mural project on East 12th Avenue between Broadway and Lincoln Street. (Three months ago, Norris designed the "Black Lives Matter" mural created just four blocks away on Broadway itself; she's also featured in the Women Behaving Badly exhibit at History Colorado.) And while Norris and volunteers (sign up here) are working on that project, professional chalk artists will be creating works honoring Ginsburg on the sidewalk, and visitors can add their own tributes.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Colorado AG Phil Weiser.
Weiser Facebook
“Justice Ginsburg changed my life, teaching me about equal justice under the law and what outstanding legal work looks like — an important lifelong lesson,” Weiser says. “For millions around the world, her memory will continue to be a blessing.”
The Ginsburg events fit well with the History Colorado Center's current exhibit, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, and four floors of additional experiences devoted to the history of government by and for the people. Find out more at historycolorado.org.
To get yourself in the mood for the celebration, stop by Lady Justice Brewing at 9735 East Colfax Avenue in Aurora; the six-year-old, women-owned company installed a mural of Justice Ginsburg when it moved into the new space. And another mural dedicated to Ginsburg just popped up at 2150 Market Street.
