Civil Rights

Vigil and projection for Justice Ginsberg at RI Supreme Court

“There will be moments when we feel despair and anger and rage and we are going to keep on going. And we have to know that we are all in this together, because no matter what happens – even if we don’t see the outcomes we want to see in November – we’ll be together – a unified front.“ Around

Rhode Island News: Vigil and projection for Justice Ginsberg at RI Supreme Court

September 22, 2020, 11:28 am

By Steve Ahlquist

There will be moments when we feel despair and anger and rage and we are going to keep on going. And we have to know that we are all in this together, because no matter what happens – even if we don’t see the outcomes we want to see in November – we’ll be together – a unified front.


Around eighty people gathered in the courtyard of the Rhode Island Supreme Court on Saturday evening to pay tribute to United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and to call upon our elected leaders to do everything in their power to prevent the confirmation of President Donald Trump‘s nominee until after the results of the November presidential election are known. Those speaking at the vigil were elected officials or people seeking elected office. The event was organized by the Rhode Island Womxn’s Action Initiative and The Womxn Project. After the vigil there was a projection of Justice Ginsberg images and quotes.

The vigil was emceed by Representative Teresa Tanzi (Democrat, District 34, Narragansett, South Kingstown):

Jennifer Douglas, who is running as a Democrat in Senate District 34 (Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich) read a brief biography of Justice Ginsberg written by Heather Cox Richardson.

Tarshire Battle, a community activist from Pawtucket, ran for Pawtucket City council as part of an all-woman slate of diverse candidates called It’s Her Time. “Two of the reasons that we decided to run were It’s Her Time was to have more diversity on the city council and also to have more women. Right now there’s not that much diversity there.”

“These next few weeks are going to be very difficult on all of us,” said Senator Gayle Goldin (Democrat, District 3, Providence). “There will be moments when we feel despair and anger and rage and we are going to keep on going. And we have to know that we are all in this together, because no matter what happens – even if we don’t see the outcomes we want to see in November – we’ll be together – a unified front.”

“I am deeply grateful for the fact that [Justice Ginsberg] wroked to smash the patriarchy until her dying breath,” said Representative Liana Cassar (Democrat, District 66, Barrington, East Providence). “She was an inspiration to all of us and now we ache for the loss of this powerhouse leader, lawyer, mother, grandmother, mentor and Supreme Court Justice…”

“I’m here today to urge all of you to persevere and persevere and persevere,” said Representative Edith Ajello (Democrat, District 1, Providence). “She is a wonderful model for all of us.”

“We’re focusing a lot on women’s rights… but, you start to think about all the things we stand to lose, all that she was a protector of,” said Representative Tanzi. “It was immigrant rights, it was human rights, it was women’s rights, it was the environment and it was worker’s rights. We stand to lose a lot in our nation…”

“We are here tonight because – marriage equality, 5-4 vote; abortion rights 5-4 vote; 40 million people’s health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, 5-4 vote; dreamers not being sent to countries that they have no memory of on a 5-4 vote,” said State Treasurer Seth Magaziner. “We are here tonight because we are scared, we are anxious, because we know that the safety and the freedom of millions of people is hanging on by a thread…”

Representative Tanzi:

Representative Anastasia Williams (Democrat, District 9, Providence) delivered the keynote address.

Representative Tanzi: