02 Nov ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO DEDICATES MEMORIAL BRONZE BUSTS OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG AND PETER RODINO Busts Are Placed in Lobby of Essex County Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building
Published on November 2, 2022
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. dedicated memorial busts of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and NJ Congressman Peter Rodino on Tuesday, November 1st.
“We have named buildings and fields and created statues and markers to highlight our history and remember the people who shaped the development of Essex County and our nation. This will keep the legacies of those who came before us alive and remind future generations about the people who impacted us,” DiVincenzo said. “Placing busts of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Peter Rodino alongside John Lewis in the lobby of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building highlights people who have contributed to our nation and represents the diversity that makes our country great. Both Ginsburg and Rodino dedicated their lives to public service, advocated for equal rights and conducted themselves with honesty and integrity,” he added.
“I am proud to join everyone today in honoring two people who stood for justice. Both were beacons in America and I hope their images in this lobby will influence everyone walking by,” U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill said.
“Thank you, Joe D., for this wonderful tribute to my father. It is very fitting to dedicate his bust in the lobby of this outstanding building where I hope it will inspire fairness and kindness to all those who see it,” said Peter Rodino III, the son of Congressman Peter Rodino.
“What we are doing today is celebrating the DNA of people who gave public service. What Joe has done is create a place where we can see and celebrate that DNA,” said the Honorable Judge Glenn Grant, Administrative Director of NJ Courts.
“I am proud to join the County Executive to honor giants in our history. Peter Rodino distinguished himself by leading our country through one of its most difficult times. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg embodies fairness and justness,” NJ and Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman LeRoy Jones said.
“Newark and Essex County produce greatness and individuals who understand the importance of equity, and Peter Rodino was one of those people. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at that time, was a woman who was alone in so many spaces, but she was a leader for equity and fairness,” Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz said. “Joe has a knack for doing the right thing. This building is breathtaking and it’s fitting to recognize two outstanding Americans who gave their service to their country in these halls,” Assemblyman Thomas Giblin said.
“Joe never stops thinking about people who should be and deserve to be honored,” Commissioner Patricia Sebold said. “These folks were pillars in the community and honoring them in this way is an opportunity to remind future generations of their impact,” Commissioner Len Luciano said. “Peter Rodino served honorably during a time when democracy was in question and Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a champion of women’s rights and equity,” Commissioner Brendan Gill said.
“Peter Rodino was a fantastic guy who supported minorities in all legislation. He was a decent human being who did so much to help people,” Deputy Chief of Staff William Payne said.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993 and served as an Associate Justice until she passed away in 2020. Earlier, she was on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1980 to 1993. Throughout her legal career and as a judge, Ginsburg was an advocate for gender equality and women’s rights.
The pedestal is engraved with a quote by Ginsburg: “To make life a little better for people less fortunate than you, that’s what I think a meaningful life is. One lives not just for oneself, but for one’s community.” It continues with: “Recognized as a trailblazer and icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg initially could not get a job as a lawyer because firms would not hire females. She then spent a lifetime flourishing in the face of adversity and, in 1993, became the second woman Supreme Court justice. Affectionately called RBG, her fierce advocacy of gender and racial equality resulted in several landmark cases that addressed discrimination and established protections for those being left behind. RBG’s interpretation of the Constitution as a living document supported her rulings and opened American society to inclusive ideas.”
Peter Rodino served as the U.S. Representative for parts of Newark and Essex and Hudson Counties for 20 terms from 1949 to 1989. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest serving member of the House of Representatives from New Jersey until 2021. He gained national recognition for chairing the impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon and was an advocate for Civil Rights, public safety and immigration reform. He passed away in 2005.
The pedestal is engraved with a quote by Rodino: “Whatever the result, whatever we learn or conclude, let us now proceed with such care and decency and thoroughness and honor that the vast majority of American people, and their children after them, will say: ‘That was the right course.’ ” It continues with: “Peter Rodino, born in the North Ward, was beloved by constituents and their descendants for helping them become U.S. citizens. In 1974, he gained prominence as Chairperson of the Committee to Impeach Richard Nixon. His dignity and directness won the country’s respect during that traumatic period. From 1949 to 1989, he was U.S. Representative for Newark and parts of Essex and Hudson Counties, always supporting Civil Rights, Public Safety and Immigration reform. Rodino certainly helped move America forward.”
Both bronze busts were created by Jay Warren from Oregon.
The Essex County Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building opened in June 2021. The first bronze bust in the building is of the late U.S. Representative and Civil Rights leader John Lewis from Georgia. The lobby also includes a mural and video that depict pictures of and quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
