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RBG Leadership Award Ceremony Gets Cancelled Amid Criticism For Honoring Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch And Others
Amidst escalating criticism from both the family of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and renowned singer and former recipient of the award, Barbra Streisand, the planned RBG Award Gala has been abruptly cancelled.
Elon Musk, Robert Murdoch, and three others will no longer receive the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Leadership Award, the presenting organization, the Opperman Foundation, announced in a statement on Monday.
The award cancellation comes in light of singer and former RBG award recipient Barbra Streisand criticizing the decision to honor Musk and Murdoch, among others. Not only the music icon, but the former justice’s daughter, Jane Ginsburg, had also spoken out against it.
Following the piling criticism, Julie Opperman, the chairperson of the Opperman Foundation, said in a statement on March 18, “The last thing we intended was to offend the family and friends of RBG.”
“Our purpose was only to remember her and honor her leadership. And while we believe each of the honorees is worthy of our respect for their leadership and their notable contributions, the Foundation has decided that the planned ceremony in April 2024 will be canceled,” the statement further added.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at the Library of Congress on April 13.
Here's what Barbra Streisand and RBG’s daughter said, which led to the cancellation of the award ceremony.
Barbra Streisand, former RBG Award honoree, disagreed with the choice of honorees this year
In a statement on her official Instagram page on Monday, the What Kind of Fool singer said, “Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor stand as two of the most respected women role models, and their commitment to democratic values, especially women’s rights, is unequaled. That's why I join the Ginsburg family in condemning the choice of honorees this year. I had the privilege of meeting Justice Ginsburg on several occasions, and I strongly doubt she would approve of these awardees.”
Previously known as the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award, it was broadened this year to encompass male recipients as well. Musk and Murdoch’s names courted the most controversy, given that their values stood in complete contrast to the values held by the late justice in whose name the award was being handed out.
Ginsburg passed away at age 87 in 2020.
Jane Ginsburg, RBG’s daughter too spoke out against the choice of honorees this year
In a statement to the New York Times, Jane Ginsburg said that the choice of winners this year was “an affront to the memory of our mother” and that “the justice's family wish to make clear that they do not support using their mother’s name to celebrate this year's slate of awardees and that the justice’s family has no affiliation with and does not endorse these awards.”
Besides Musk and Murdoch, the honorees this year included billionaire Michael Milken, Sylvester Stallon, and Martha Stewart.
In her statement on Monday, Opperman assured that the foundation will “reconsider its mission” in the coming days “and make a judgment about how or whether to proceed in the future.”
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