Superhero Delivers: Columbia Girl Dresses As Supreme Court Judge, Gets Personal Letter In Return

COLUMBIA, MD — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote to a Columbia girl recently after the 8-year-old dressed up as her for Superhero Day at school.

Third-grader Michele Threefoot was inspired by reading "I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark," an illustrated book showing how Ginsburg's bucking of social norms — for example, taking shop class instead of home economics — paved her path to the Supreme Court.

"Michele gets passionate about girls having the same opportunities as boys, so the story of Justice Ginsburg's life and how she had to fight to get to where she is now really appealed to her," the girl's mother, Krista Threefoot, told Patch. "She says that by dissenting, Justice Ginsburg helped her to be able to do things she wouldn't have been able to do before."

Taking a page out of Ginsburg's book and straying from the traditional, Michele Threefoot and her mother set out to work on a different type of getup for Superhero Day. They pulled the 8-year-old's hair back into a bun, popped out the lenses from a pair of sunglasses, and the costume took shape.

Krista Threefoot posted a picture of her daughter on Facebook before winter break, and it took on a life of its own. It was shared more than 1,500 times.

"Shortly after the picture I took went viral, Justice Ginsburg's office contacted me to say that the picture had made it to them and that Justice Ginsburg thought it was great," Krista Threefoot said. "Her assistant told me that she liked it so much, she wanted to write Michele a personal note."

Soon after, Michele Threefoot received a letter from Ginsburg with her ruling on the costume. "You look just like me!" Ginsburg wrote on official Supreme Court stationery. "May you continue to thrive on reading and learning."

A friend who is a professional photographer also offered to take pictures of the little Ginsburg.

"As soon as I saw the photo, I wanted to pay it forward to Krista and all the other great moms who empower their girls to read!" Howard County photographer Jody McKinley posted on her website. "I offered to take a few photos of her so she could keep the memory forever. We scheduled an outdoor shoot, and on the day we were supposed to meet, there was a freak mini snow storm! Thinking quickly, I took us to the library instead. I think it turned out to be the perfect setting."

They ended up at the Central Branch of the Howard County Public Library in Columbia.

The letter writing did not end with the Supreme Court justice.

To show her gratitude, Michele Threefoot sent a reply: "Dear Justice Ginsburg, Thank you for the letter. It made me happy because you said I look just like you. I will keep it forever. It is special to me. I promise to keep reading and learning. From, Michele."

She also took the letter to school, where her teacher used it as a springboard for discussion, The Huffington Post reported.

The story of Ginsburg and her new pen pal has attracted the attention of the national media, with CBS News, ABC's Good Morning America, Cosmopolitan and People magazine among those featuring it.

The response has been "overwhelming," Krista Threefoot said.

In an article evaluating why the exchange between Threefoot and Ginsburg matters, social site Upworthy said it "might give one young woman the courage to grow up and fight the good fight" in a time when women leaders are needed to encourage the next generation.

Krista Threefoot penned her own take on the matter in a column entitled "Little Girls Have Big Voices."

"As I sifted through all the shares and comments, the reason for the picture’s popularity became clear – people are inspired by the idea of a strong little girl with a mind of her own," Krista Threefoot wrote in a guest column for the Huffington Post. "And if one little girl like this gives people hope, then I have good news for the world: She is not the only one out there..."

Pictured above, Michele Threefoot in the Central Branch of Howard County library. Photo Credit: Jody McKinley. Pictures of the letters from Ginsburg are courtesy of Krista Threefoot, who said that one was handwritten and another, below, was typed with a quote about reading as key to success.