Sept 27, 2020 | By Raquel Sequeira TD ‘21.5

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” “When there are nine.” “I grew up not knowing there was a glass ceiling because of you.” “Thank you for inspiring this lady lawyer.” “I dissent.”

I paced the pavement in front of the Supreme Court, squinting to read the hundreds of chalk messages obscured by my lengthening shadow. Golden hour on Capitol Hill is one of my favorite places to be. Now, I was sharing the sunset with a crowd—not one of the angry crowds that often storm the white marble steps before abortion cases, but a crowd subdued to silent awe. People kept their distance from each other and even from the police barrier-turned-memorial, endowing the chalked-up sidewalk with a sense of sacredness.