that's far in advance for 100, 120 day job. and given that the way the world is changing and given that the way the workforce is changing, we need to figure out how to have a system that's lining up with american workers expectations. >> well, chip and cam, thank you so much. what a great conversation. ease give a hand to the greatest superintendents. [applause] >> thank g for our parksnd

>> when you're connected, you're not alone. >> cox supports c-sp as a public service along wit these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> the u.s. postal service unveiled a new forever stamp featuring the late supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg. three of the late justice's colleagues were in attendance. chief justice john roberts devered brief remarks on the special occasion. this is about an hour and 15 minutes. okay. good afternoon, everyone. good afternoon and welcome,

welcome, welcome my >> ok, gd afternoon, everyone, and welcome. i am the director of the washington national opera at the kennedy center. thank you for clapping. one of our most famous and favorite patrons was delayed ruth bader ginsburg -- was the late ruth bader ginsburg. for us, she was truly devoted to our company, and we were truly devoted to her. she was probably the most famous opera fan that ever lived. went out into so many different places in world for her opera was a relief from all the things that she was certainly most famous. and so we are honored to be here today to offer a few so two selections that are really in her memory, which i think that she would have enjoyed. one of the things that she was a huge advocate of was what is

known as our young artists program. this is a oup of 12 singers who are people on the brink of major careers. sure, there are many lawyers here. they are like our version of associates. and so today we have three of them here with us. we're goi to first start with a number comes om an opera by richard wagner called tannhauser. it's an aria by, the character wolfra and he singing to the evening star and he is saying farewell the evening star. it is a vy beautiful and moving sho. aria it is going to be sung by jonathan burton and accompani by the head of our young artist program chris cano. please welcome them.

fired and it was great. sound. so. sweet. oh oh, it is. oh, oh oh i'm room to tea. oh, oh. oh, oh me is thoughts oh oh. it's very oh oh oh oh, oh, oh and oh. is it oh gee, no oh yeah.

in her and her oh oh. oh he oh oh oration oh oh oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. oh. so hey, nurse do oh, oh. stood the test oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh to see me reached to nurse do. oh. no good oh, oh, oh, oh dying he

forced her oh, oh. 004000. to miss ho ho ho ho ho ho, ho, ho ho. in this oh ho ho, ho hum. oh. oh oh, no, no. oh, oh, oh. oh christi. hood.

hes all good. uh, so ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho! returned us to see me her. ho greased she good d sugar. uh uh uh, guernsey and silver it tore. oh, oh, here it tun. oh here. good. door. oh, so here, here, hun. oh, easy.

he earns it to defend ho. oh, yeah. well done, all princess. oh, hang good. oh, oh oh, oh over. oh oh, oh. all right, start welcome, john. thank you, jonathan. jonathan will be back for the national anthem. we're now going to hear a piece that i know rbg loved, which is the final duet from the opera romeo and juliet sung in french

by tiffany cho and with tenor salim zahir. salim again accompanied by chris kano. thank you so much. okay. oh, --. y're, uh.

oh. you should. worse. horn iner sub woo some used muted medawar all through me small soul teeth. unless he had lost the soul. oh. oh, i know my record. if that's whoever. put it on me and you're due to please talk and of bit fellow this is it been for okay.

oh oh cuddles. oh. oh sure. oh, oh say it. horn pool. oh, from lord dub warner. oh, but it also is who he romance talker, not. yeah, not even alternative. yeah. brought her. oh heard day here. oh oh. 0b0302 day. y'all feels a little bored you old b oh spoils it oh oh her v o

oh. won't be be her oh. hey so. many so oh oh poor. oh. oh play puddle oh hot tools it's holton oh, the pit her.

nil oh grandma nip. three oh. 300 re on upper layers of holder we we oh oh poor little here it really hurts her oh oh poor it that's hey if. i ever took the water it. open the door.

oh, hey. sure should. roy here more. oh oh, he is shipping soup was. oh. ooh. but most. co oh so alert. oh oh over oh no. oh he third roll go oh. no i'm her last oh oh rabbit

much. oh school. oh you'll swallow it. here. oh. mid does oh. should any. home of oh dear me. elder superb ball. oh feeney lord. oh oh. hey cute. oh judy heard her not a word her

days was on. also lows oh, no, no sooner poor news you son l paul. oh, look at her smile roll. see you. oh, cruel feud. oh, oh. oh. cruelty pool. to. mobile ooh. 100.

super. star. oh, dear. if kerchief may. oh oh oh. oh oh oh. super. oh. oh oh oh. reserve.

oh. swell. hey. oh, no. hey. oh oh. uh.

good evening. good evening. let's give the members of the national washing an opera. another round of applause. my name is john samuels. i have the distinct privilege of introducing the director of this smithsonian national portrait gallery as first woman to serve as the director of the smithsonian nationalortrait cam. see, it has exploring new ways to place experience and at the

center of learning and civic awareness. ladies, gentlemen, i present to some an to others the director of the smithsonian national portrait ms. kim said it. good evening. my name is kim sash. i want to welcome you to the smithsonian. the national portrait gallery. when congress founded the museum it was with the underst standing that we would collect display and tell the stories of individuals who have made a major contribution to u.s. history and culture. and as we all know, ruth ginsburg has not only made a major impact on this country, but one that is truly served to inspire generations of people to fight for the things that they care about, but in such a way

that others would like to join the cause in recognition. her remarkable impact on our i'm proud to say that the portugal has four portraits by justice ginsburg in the collection one of which is part of a portrait of the first four women to the court painted by nelson shanks that he titled the for justice, and that we like to call this supremes. there is a popular adage that, ll behaved women rarely me history. and the same certainly to portraiture. before the advent of photography portrait portraiture favored who could vote white men who oed land. over time, me women have their portraits made, but truthfully still very few. still today, only aut 25% of the collection depicts women. ruth bad ginsburg was

extraordinary. she did not only create his story history, but also her story. she inspired other women fight for their independence, demonstrate their intelligence and question the status quo to be, well, badly or notorious is the kind of who was noticed and seen literally making positive change. so n, ladies, gentlemen, i am pleased to introduce the chancellor of the smithsonian and another supreme, the honorable chief justice of the united states, john g. roberts, give opening remarks. thank you very much and good evening. i want to begin by thanking director kim said for hosting this magnificent and meaningful event here at the national

portrait gallery. i also want to express my appreciation to usps board of governors chairman martinez for his important role in today's official stamp dedication. and i do to acknowledge in the audience my justice, sonia sotomayor, or am i retired colleague justice kennedy. we are writing something. i am sure there will be no dissenting opinions from my remarks. was once on the supremcourt a yorker so recognizable that the postal service delivered an envelope to that person, addressed only by a drawing of the justice. i am referring, of course, to the time years ago when charles evans hughes was chief juice of the united. the envelope which we have kept in our curator's office is

adorned with nothing more than a pencil drawing of hughes. a january one, 1935, postmark from new york city, a $0.03 stamp, and the words washington dc scrawled across the bottom, the postal service knows an icon when it sees one. perhaps delivery was the inspiration for a stamp issue honoring hughes and 1962 on the centenary of his birth. now everyone here knows that the court has had another new yorker so icon that mail could have been delivered to her by a mere sketch her appearance. indeed even a sketch of just her signature collar. and now a new stamp will honor outstanding american eminent jurist who gave so much to our country. as scholar, teacher lawyer, judge and justice in the pantheon of philatelic, technically honored justices, she joins a distinguished membership, including not just

hughes, also chief justices john marshall and john jay d associate oliver wendell holmes. louis brandeis. thurgood marshall, to name a few. william howard taft has a stamp to, but thatonors him for that other job he held. it is a fitting moment for this ceremony to 30 years ago yesterday, the supreme court held a investiture. welcoming justice ginsburg to the court. 30 yrs ago this week, she sat as a member of the court for the first time when it convened by law for a new term on, the first monday in october. now, as a consequence of that same law, however, i am back on the bench tomorrow morning. and so ijust a moment, i will turn the program over to the postal service. but i couldn't miss this occasion. i want to recognize the presence, the justices, children, jane and jim ginsburg, who will always be part the supreme court family as

chancellor. this smithsonian. i am pleased to welcome everyone here to the national portrait gallery as chief justice and on behalf of the court. i thank the postal service for honoring our late colleague and dear friend. thank you very much and enjoy the program. i now have the distinct honor. introduce your emcee for the evening. tom is an anchor fox five in the morning on sundays and the host of the five on the hill and a reporter for w ttg tv in washington, d.c. please welcome your emcee for this evening, mr. tom fiterald. good evening, everyone.

how are you? we have a special evening for you ahead. and it's just wonderful evening to be here. thank so much, everyone. it is my sincere, humble honor to be serving as your master of ceremonies this evening as we mark this historic occasion, the official dedication of the ruth gater bindra commemorative forever stamp. we have a wonderful program for you tonight. even more wonderful what you've already witnessed tonight. but first, a word. cell phones. they're wonderful. modern tools of science, however, can be a bit distracting and official washington events. this one or even ora performances. so we ask you to take a moment. just silence them. don't turn them off, though, because you're going to need them. the postal service this evening would like to use your phone to hash this evening. hash hashtag rbg, stamp and ruth bader ginsburg stamp and use

that on any social media post that you make this evening. at this time, we would like of you to rise for the presentation of the colors by the united states postal service's postal police honor guard and the national anthem performed by. jonathan patton from the washington national opera.

oh, those kind you see. oh, the dawn's ohyeah. oh, right. oh, it's. oh, poor. oh oh, dear. we have. oh, it's war. oh, it's like us to carry me. whose broad stripe for all rights. oh, those who help her. oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. it's me. oh, oh. it's so oh. until it's. oh, oh.

rockets. great hair. bombs bursting in her. give her through. oh, oh, oh. it's oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah. oh, oh. said oh us. ha! oh! spank. hold. oh, no oh, yeah. well, hey. oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,h, oh, oh it. oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. poor dave. right, right, right.

oh. please take your seats, everyone everyone. let's give a big round of thanks to both jonathan and the postal service police honor guard for that. wonderful.

we are most fortunate this evening to have several dignitaries and guests of honor in audience here tonight. we would like to acknowledge them at this. and if you are able to stand and wave, as i call your name, we'd appreciate that. please hold your applause till. the end, as they say. we would like to acknowledge partners that made this evening possible. the united states postal. the ruth bader ginsburg family. the smithsonian national portrait gallery. we also have with us tonight the honorable sonia sotomayor, the united states postmaster general, louis dejoy from the united states postal service board of governors. the honorable anton hajar, the honorable amber mcreynolds, the dan tangherlini. and we would also like to acknowdge the many members of congress have with us this evening who have taken the time to be with us tonight. we, of course, have the ginsburg with us this evening as well. and that includejustice ginsburg's daughter, son jane

ginsburg, and james ginsburg. we also have philip bergen, whom it the photographer of a stamp you were about to see, ethel kessler is the art director and the designer for the and antonia 'connor, who is the usps art director. thanks to all of you. it means so much to everyone that you were here tonight, too to join in this very special event. and we appreciate your support. but now to the business at hand. this is the moment you have been waiting for is evening. the dedication of the ruth bader ginsburg commemorative forever stamp to do the honors tonig. we have ramon martinez, the chairman of the postal service board of governors, which is comparable to the boarof directors of a corporation direct the organization's expenditure is the long range planning and policies. and as you can igine, it is a

enormous task. governor marnez also chairs the board's audit and finance committees. he serves on election mail committee as well. and is our honor tonight to present the honorable ramon martin. good evening. i'm glad he got that rise from people calling me the horrible ramon martinez. but that's another story. good evening. what an honor to be tonight. representing over 630,000 women and men of the postal service. first of all, i'd like to think that national porait gallery for providing this magnificent space for such a great event. thank. and i also want to thank the postal workers who put up these events year round. and they do a great job. they bring it to life. you ys are terrific. but.

one of the privileges of being chairman of theoard, perhaps the only one, is that i get first pick for the first day of issue even like this. and this one was very special to me one. we're honoring a great american and a great indidual. but we're also, in effect, honoring the sreme court, which i holding high esteem. it is a very big place. it'a very important role of the constitution and the rule of law. i'm the only speaker tonight who probably does not know what we did not know. justice ginsburg but i saw her in many times. the court i was always impressed by her quiet but firm demeanor. her sharp questions, and i saw her in action. many times during the last several years beyond the court, her personality, spirit and presence are wely held by many americans. a lot has been said about her. but to me, the one particular thing that i admire was their

ability to persevere. her ability to fight f what she believed in, but to do it so in a civil way. she said, yocan disagree without being disagreeable. on her famous friendship with. justice scalia i know the great american is a testament to that principle. in a time of sharp divisions in our country. we need more that ginsburg's and as americans use her forever stamp. let us hope forever remember what binds us together as a nation. i am often asked about the selectio process. be on a stamp. i'll just say a few words that we're older than the united states. we were established in 1775 by the second continental congress. benjamin franklin was our first postmaster general. he had more here than, postmaster general dejoy. but he was just as efficient. and in 1787, he was the only

federal agency mentioned by name in the constitution. but it was only until 1847, 75 yes later, that the congress authorized the issuance of. and that year, george washington and benjamin franklin were so honored. well, stamps were initially introduced to provide revenue to pay for service. over the years, it has become really a history of our nation in visualorm. today, a person has to be deceased three years before he or she is considered for a stamp in our nation's history. we've 103 supreme court justices that have passed away. but before today, as you heard from, the chief. only 14 have been honored on a stamp. one of them was charles evans hughes. he mentioned chief justice from 1930 to 1941. and on postal family no, his great granddaughter, his gat granddaughter, is here tonight. sandra, and she's maied to our

vice chairman of the board and to radar. every year, the postal service receives 2000 over 20,000 suggestions r new subjects to be honored from their the citizens stamp advisory commtee made up of 11 citizens, individuals from varied backgrounds, makes recommendations. the postmaster general stamps are to feature subjects that have made any extra ordinary an enduring contribution to american life, history or. the official postal service release announced today to justice ginsburg's groundbreaking contributions to justice, gender equality and rule of law. she certainly ctributed all of that and much more. the fabric of our nation. we're very proud to be issuing a stamp. her honor. before we ask my fellow participants to unveil the stamp with me up here. i'd likeo and thank three

individuals coributing tto this creation. r director, ethel kessler. think she's here. michael, this who painted the portit and ralph birmingham on whose photograph portrait was based. as you will see, it's a beautiful work of art. now, it gives me great pleasure to invite juice ginsburg, jane and james to join me here, as well as the other participants to unveil stamp. and i invite postmaster general two to come up. justice sotomayor, if you'd like to join us. justice kennedy, would you like to join us to to.

thank you. ry much. know you're. thank you so much, governor martinez. and thank who just joined us in that incredible moment. a round of applause for everyone. don't get too comfortable

comfortable. our next speaker is well-known in this town that, as they say, needs no introduction, but yet she is going to get one anyway. she is the national public radio legal affairs whose coverage of the supreme court and legal affairs have won widespread recognition including. and this is a long list the george peabody award the broadcaster of the year. the saltash of award for excellence in broadcasting for the national press foundation. she has been honored seven times by the american bar association for her continued excellence in legal reporting. and she is recipient of more than two dozen honorary. she is also the author of the new york times bestseller dinner with ruth, a memoir of power and friendships. of course, i could be talking about nobody in this town but the legendary nina totenberg.

legend mary means old. this this. it's really wonderful to be here today. it's fitting that we are to celebrate ruth bader ginsburg and her stamp because rpg quite simply chaed the way the world is for american women. and she did that even before she became a judge for more than a decade until her first judicial appoint. she led the fight in the courts for gender equality. when she began her legal crusade. women were treated. i know this isard to believe for many this audience. women at time were treated by

law differently from men. hundreds of state and federal laws restricted what womeno barring them from all manner of jobs rights, even service. but by the time she became a judge in 80, she had literally wrought a revolution. the strategy that she devised, an advocate, was characteristically cautious, precise and single mindedly at one goal winning. knowing that she had to persuade male establishment oriented judges, she often picked male to illustrate how against women can also harm men. in one of r earlier cases, she represented a man whose wife, the principal breadwinner, died in childbirth. the husband sought survivors

benefits to care for his child but under the then social security law, only widows not widowers were to collect survivor's benefits. and so s told the that this law and i can almost hear her voice my head quote, operate rates to the disadvantage of female their surviving and their children. the court would ultimately agree. she won a lot of victories as a justice too. she was a master at holding a close majority together. but as the court grew more and more conservative, her dissents grew more and more pungent. my personal came in 2013 when the court down a key provision of the voting rights act, ntending that times had changed and the law was no longer needed. justice ginsburg in dissent,

said that throwing out the law because it was working was le throwing away your umbrellin a rainstorm because you're not getting wet, she was an unlikely pioneer. a diminutive and shy woman whose soft voice belied a spine of. and by the time e was in her late, she s to her astonishment. and i would have to say and her pleasure something of a rock star to women and men of all ages. she was the of two movies, merchandise galore featuring her notorious. yes. our big moniker, a time magazine cover and regular saturday live sketches that in ended with mckinnon, the ginsburg imitator star declaring. and that's ginsburg and over her

87 years, she was a friend to hundreds and hundreds of people from all walks of life. the supreme court, i.t. guy charged with teaching her to use a computer, found that from time to time, the justice who knew he was an opera fan would invite him to go to a performance her. orhere was the law clerk who had no idea that the justice knew of his trouble. a daycare spot for his toddler until the day he accompanied her to a speech at georgetown. and aftwards in the elevator, rpg asked her, where is the daycare center? the answer was the basement. where rb g promptly led the whole announci when she got there. hello, i'm justice ginsburg. my clerk is looking for a daycare spot for his son, simon. we'd like a tour. problem solved.

i could ner get over how much emotion. peripheral vision. ruth had. she always to know when to write, to call, and her actions were so often above and beyond the call of duty. when cancer reared ugly head again in 2018, she leaned on my rgeon husband david for advice. but remained in the dark. on the day the surgery just, hours after she wa wheeled of the o.r., she called me from the icu. she was calling, said because she wanted me to know. why? she had forbidden david to tell me anything about what was going on. i didn't want you to be trapped between friendship for me and your obligations as a journalist. she said the reach her personal

decency extend, too, to all manner of folks important and unimportant. for decades she corresponded with lois seven. after the ath of seven's husband who had been a friend of the ginsburg's at after the initial condolence note, rbg would periodically cards and chatting notes often accompanied by a speech she'd given or an article of interest. and lois well, lois began sending croched lacy gloves to ruth gloves that along with similar ones that she bought at bergdorf's, would be worn by the justices hide the dark bruise marks on her hands from cancer treatments. over years i interviewed the justice dozens and dozens of times, and in e of our last, she remained optimist, even

though she was again fighting cancer. i do think i was born under a very bright, bright star. she, with a smile, because if you think about it, if you think about my life i get out of law school. i have top grades. no law firm in this of new york will hiree. i end up teaching and it gave me time to devote to the movement for evening out the rights of women and men. it was tt legal, of course, that led to her appointment to the united states supreme court and to this forever postage stamp. this evening. thanks so much. thank so much. that was fantastic.

nina totenberg. everyone. we are pleased to introduce this. our next speaker who comes to the from the postal service. laurie dimm is an executive in their law department and her has included employment government contracts, real estate law. however, she knew justice ginsburg through the of opera. everyone, please give. a big welcome tonight to florida. i am thrilled to participate in this celebration because of my long standing connection with justice ginsburg. as a fellow opera lover, i first met her many years through

another opera fan. we were at a movie theater to watch the saturday matinee of the ne york opera, which was being transmitted live via satellite. it soon became a regular occurrence, and we saw quite a few of them over the years. as youight, it was quite experience attending these performances with. justice ginsburg atimes. there was a standing ovation when she entered the auditorium and a crowd of admirers that could easily over welcome her if they were left by security. justice ginsburwould gently wave arms to motion everyone to sit down. but it could take a minute or

two before people could calm down and think. taylor is a rock star. i quickly disvered that it was best not to leave my seat during intermission because there was a line of starstruck fans. someone would invariably try to take my seat to get her, and sometimes they didn't want to leave. another thing i discovered was that i no longer needed to bring my opera reference book. there was no reason since she knew so much about opera and was so generous in sharing her. she would comment on the singe both past and present, and she tells stories about her visits to the opera house as a child

and how she and her husband martin, went to the metropolitan opera when they were dating. not surprisingly, a frequent topic of conversation was the washington national opera at the kennedy center, which she adored. she attended their dress rehearsals and she liked to discuss the performances. her knowledge of opera was remarkable. and it was fascinating to listen to her candid opinions ofhe. she was just as you would imagine incredibly well informed, engaging, thoughtful and respectful. she was a lovely person, a truly great lady. it'of our opera connection over, the years that i am sure justice ginsburg would enjoy the

next portion of the program evening. it is my pleasure to present victory brinker, the classical singing sensation who at the of seven was named the guinness rld records youngest opera singer. she's the winner of numerous contests and prizes and is known for her breakthrough on america's talent. please welcome victory brinker.

kim. one more user featuring my divine victory she oh oh. four awarded by all eligible live audience audience.

in in. oh. oh. 1840.

two. oh oh oh. another round of applause that. wasn't that amazing. a thank you victory. and thank you, miss din for sharing your special memories of justice ginsburg.

continuing our next distinguished speaker is elizabeth glaser, who serves the senior criminal justice policy adviser at new york city's mayor. adams. previously, ms. glaser has held a variety of leadership positions at the local, state and federal, including the united attorney's office for the southern district of new york. she also clerked for justice ginsburg when she was a judge on the u.s. circuit court. ladies and gentlemen, please say hello tonight to elizabeth glaser. victory. wow, fantastic. so it's a funny thing when you know and love someone who becomes an and well, a stamp, even a stamp is and is true to her image. this one is in two dimensions.

and of course, ruth bader ginsburg lived life fully in three. and had a front row seat as one of her clerks. they are a blazing, talented group of, professors and judges and public servants and more. and piece of her living legacy inspired by her really intense discipline, by her ethic and beneficiaries of her million kindnesses. thnotes that arrived in mail, the hard stock stationery, the fine lined pen of her precise handwriting and express for every occasion, births, deaths. all right. congratulations jane ginsburg, the daughter and i have friends since we were seven in the 1960s and seventies, when ruth ginsburg was a law and the

founder of, the aclu women's rights project in the ginsburg's in new york apartment, ruth ginsburg typically camped out in the dining room that was lined with bookshelves full of her beloved husband, marty's tax reporters. she was fueled it entirely by coffee and cigarets some times, pausing when marty a renowned tax expert and a renowned cook would tempt her with a few morsels. she worked long intohe night and into the morning, and the result six supreme court arguments since seven years that established some fundamental rights for women and men. if i knew mrs. ginsburg one way i got to know judge and justice ginsburg and quite another she had liked something wrote when i was 14 and 15 years later, she called to offer me a job.

life in chambers pulled back the curtain on law and what had been going in that dining room lined with tax reporters. we an ordered life if ruled a little bit by the judges habits as we made sure that before we left for the day, we had fed the judge enough to last her morning. bench memos cases, research and she would then to chambers the next morning unz a leather with her neatly written legal. she was a camuser of scotch tapescissors and so some of our work or a sentence or miraculous only a paragraph would svive live carefully taped into the text of an opinion or an article. she opened her mind to us in a way was heart stopping and

exhilarating. in a discussion with the judge stepped into a different world in which the usual social you write fell away. all you could hear was the thinking she did as the great honor of taking us seriously. she discipned our minds and, our work with her n grace and order, and she trained us to be better lawyersnd, writers by her example and her actions, we learned, is the sickness of life, thought and family all tightly woven that gives meang to our lives and. one doesn't stand without the other. she, of course, went on to the court and she always called and became notorious. she was a person of paradox, reserved yet delighted to be notorious or b.j. i d't believe she got a tattoo.

but she sported a notorious rpg tote bag. a startling contrast to her usuaelegant accessories. she was very much of the world and yet into purely apart from pieces of it. once we clerks accompanied her to the investiture of folksy judge who punctuate his remarks with references. willie nelson lyrics. this willie neln she later asked us. i ke it. he's a baseball player. she changed in a profound way. the shape ofociety's connection. but she had an ingrained modesty, never puffed up. soon after her confirmation, i ran into her at a. she had a glass of wine in one handnd doorstop biography of john marshall tucked under her

arm if were to fail. at least she'd have somethg to read. i i deftly asked her how that whole hi court thing was coming and herself chasing rly was lizzie, i am just working my head off to be prepared. she was the general of her revolution, but there was nothing militaristic about. she waan institutionalist, believg in the power of the democratic structures of american life that had been despite all she had overcome the bedrock of her own successes. what is the difference? a book keeper and and a supreme court justi? she famously asked a generation she just as famous answered at her deat her formed her honor assembled on the grates in front of the

high court in the utter silence of that clear september day. her body was born up the steps to lie in repose, and we stood watch her in turns through the da and the night, and as in front of the court thousands of women, men, little children passed by another living. she would have been, i think, a little surprised by today's honor, but so pleased the stamp is a fitting to a person w believed deeply in our country and, its institutions and, whose pen reshaped our world world. thank you so much, ms.

glaser. we have rehed the grand finale this ening and it is a special one. our nal speaker this evening is cla spera. she a lawyer. e practices trial and pellate litigation. she focuses her pro bono practice on productive rights, litigation and advisg, family law and crinal defense. she is a lecturer at the harva law school, and she just happens to be the granddaughter of ruth bader ginsburg. we are delighted thievening to present to you clara spera. on behalf of the family of my grandmother, my baby. justice bader ginsburg, thank you to the united states postal service. this great honor, both during her and after her death. my grandmother has been honored

with several inspiring and wonderful awards and recognitions. but this one is particularly special because i think it is the first that she shares with yogi berra. i'd like to thank those who made today possible, including the honorable martinez kimsey at my grandmother's dear colleague and friend, chief justice roberts, and the two artists responsible for the image that will soon be making its way the country michael dees, who the portrait based on a photograph by philip birmingham. of the many honors my grandmother has received this stamp is especially fitting and not because the supreme court has had occasion to interpret the postal found in article one, section eight of the constitution. indeed stamps a large role in my grandmother's from long before she ever sat on a federal bench. by all accounts, bubby was an

exacting parent who set high academic expectations for her children, as she would later of her clerks, her grandchildren. she was involved in her children's education, wanting to go beyond already demanding curricula at her children's schools. so in the 1960s, bobby used extensive stamp collection borrowed from her cousin and closest friend, richard,o teach my mother geography and history. my motr learned about european conization of africa by examining stamps like those from french togand, which by the time my ther was in middle school, had gained independence from france and she knew only as togo. my mother learned about the brief independence of nations like estonia and latvia, which shknew only part of the ur. bobby was also a regular user of stamps. she had a nchant for sending handwritten snail il letters.

i always looked forward to reiving her birthday cards in the mail. my favorite from my foth birthday, which a drawing o bobby and justice sandra day o'connor surrounded by music notes and the lyrics tthe happy birthday song inside the card. it simply said from the suemes. i have saved all of her cards, the envelopes in which they re sent. leafing thugh those envelopes discoveredtamps of all kinds, including my favorite, a bunny stamp fr 1997, which, by the way cost only $32. and bobby wrote letterser whole life. after her death, i across a box of letters tt bobby wrote to her soon to be mother in law. during her final year of college at cornell. e letters provide a fascining and moving glimpse a young won in love and excited be married and ready to be done

th college. each of the i found which spanned entire academic year, bore a three cent stamp featuring a profile of the man drafted the declaration of independence, thomas jefferson. i am sure that bobby would be thrilled beyond rds to learn that she will be joining the ranks of founding and others w inspired her like susan b anthony, alice, paul and ella baker, not to mention opera legends li pons and richard tucker, all of whom were similarly honored. the united states postal service stamps. her legacy, like theirs, will forever be into t story of this great. thank you. thank you so much, claire. that was amazing.

we now, at the conclusion of ceremony this evening. but before go, we do have a few thank you's to send out and then someone asked was to share. we would like to thank allur guests and our participants for making tonight such a special occasion first. kim said, and everyone here at the smithsonian national portrait gallery hosting this evening's event and making us feel so welcome. governor romer, roland martinez in the u.s. postal service, thank you for choosing this location to celebrate justice ginsburg with this incredible honor, this memorial stamp. we thank you as well to. chief justice roberts. need a. totenberg laurie, jim, elizabeth glaser and clara spencer sparrow, we thank you as well. those tributes were this evening. we all enjoy them. thank you so much.

and we could not gather cumulatively, without all of you in the audience, thank you for taking time out of your all busy schedules to be with us tonight to celebrate justice ginsburg. thank you. we would to remind that some of our panel will available to autograph your programs this evening and othe keepsakes we would like youo remember. you can the ruth bader ginsburg at the postal service retail booth loted right behind you over on those lighted signs, there will be ce. so we would like l of you to stick around and have a piece of cake cebrating this momento this evening. and we would like of the participants in the program this evening to remain for another photo at nclusion in just a moment. here i am, t fitzgerald. it has been an honor and a privilege to be your emcee for this evening celebration, and it has beenruly a wonderful

evening celebrating justice ruth bader ginsburg. have a good night, everyone.