Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday, September 18th at the age of 87. She was an inspiration to many young women and activists striving for a more equal and just world. Before her tenure on the Supreme Court, she was a professor of law at Rutgers University, worked with the ACLU to co-found the Women’s Rights Project, and served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. As a Jewish woman, RBG faced many obstacles and often had to declare why she deserved to occupy the space that she did. The dean called a meeting with RBG and the other eight women in her class at Harvard Law School to ask them if they could justify “taking the place of a qualified male?” Perhaps this is what prompted a career highly focused on discrimination on the basis of sex. Ruth Bader Ginsburg consistently brought forth opinions that called sex inequality to the attention of the public and the Court. This determination allowed her to take many steps towards equality for women under the law. 

The Limitations of Leaders

Justice Ginsberg was, however, limited in what she could achieve — limited by the opinions of the other Justices on the Court, limited by her own worldview, and limited as an individual fighting for high-level change. Like all leaders, she saw the injustice in this world and, rather than be intimidated by its magnitude, was driven to fight against it. Leaders are no more than individuals with the opportunity and support to believe in a vision of a more just world. When we think of leaders, we think of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Marsha P. Johnson, and countless others. These individuals played a crucial role in their movements for justice, but they are of equal importance to those who showed up at speeches, marches, and protests. It is when people come together that a bright future becomes possible. It is by empowering the many rather than the few that movements gain momentum. 

While certain figures occupy the spotlight, the crowd is full of people just like them, motivated by the same reason to fight. Therefore, when a figure dies, we should allow our hearts to break — but not for the lost future we had imagined. Instead, we should call on the leader within ourselves and in those around us to mobilize. For the fight will continue as long as it is driven by the will of the people. 

The Will of the Syrian People

At Karam, we see just how important it is to put our faith in the future not just in one individual, but in many. In empowering 10,000 Syrian youth into leadership, we are creating a strong foundation upon which the future of Syrians can be built. It is a foundation that relies on no single individual, no single set of circumstances, and no single belief, but on the power of individuals coming together in community. The will of the Syrian people is strong. By daring these youth to dream and imagine a future of justice and peace, by reminding them it cannot be achieved alone, we break down the notion that “leader” is a title reserved for the select few. A bright future is carried on the backs of all who agree to fight for it. 

We are inspired by the actions of figures like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Malcolm X, but we remember that they alone were limited until they inspired an active base. When 10,000 Syrian youth come together, this limitation falls by the wayside a new future appears in its place.