Rosalynn Carter, ABC News
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and wife of former President Jimmy Carter, passed away at the age of 96 this Sunday. Carter had entered hospice care in November this year and was diagnosed with dementia six months prior. She is remembered not only by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren but also for her significant contributions as First Lady and her nonprofit work after former President Carter lost his reelection to Reagan.
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter during 75th wedding anniversary, NBC News
As first lady, Rosalynn Carter was a political force of her own, and during Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, she was claimed to be “her husband’s most influential political adviser,” according to the U.S. News & Political Report at the time. Carter also often listened to Cabinet and National Security Council meetings to gain a better understanding of Jimmy Carter’s decisions as president. She also often served as an international envoy and learned Spanish for her trips to the Caribbean and Central and South America. In meetings with these nations, she discussed human rights, demilitarization, and opioids.
Additionally, Rosalynn Carter was a staunch advocate for mental health and hoped to destigmatize mental health. Her interest began in 1966 during her husband’s first run for governor, where she told TIME, “One day I made a remark that I might work with people with mental illness… And the more I thought about it and found out about it, the more I thought it was just a terrible situation with no attention. And I've been working on it ever since.” Carter worked as honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health and worked for policy change and reform in how mental health was treated in the United States.
Her advocacy work did not end with her term as First Lady; she founded the Carter Center with her husband in 1982. The nonprofit organization worked on increasing knowledge on mental health, housing the homeless worldwide, aiding farmers in developing nations, and much more. The Carter Center attempted to nearly eradicate Guinea worm disease in Africa and managed to reduce it from 3.5 million cases per year in 186 to a mere 30 in 2017 (ABC News). Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 by President Bill Clinton for their work with the Carter Center.
From The Carter Center
Rosalynn Carter will forever be remembered for her work that helped improve countless lives. Jimmy Carter announced shortly after her death, saying, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” She will be mourned not only by her family but countless “U.S. political figures, world leaders, social justice icons, and celebrities” (USA Today).
Sources:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-first-lady-rosalynn-carter-dies/story?id=55565598
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/rosalynn-carter-former-first-lady-dies-rcna62862
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7 comments:
Love seeing such a person like Rosalynn Carter acknowledged! Although mental health nowadays is gaining more recognition as a legitimate concern, there are still many individuals disseminating false information and diminishing its significance. Rosalynn Carter's support of mental health is important as there have been reports of peoples' (especially teenagers) worsening. Since COVID-19 many of the young generation suffered from depression and other mental health issues. Rosalynn Carter is not solely devoted to mental health; her advocacy extends to critical issues like early childhood immunizations and human rights. Her compassion and dedication make her a hero to many. May she R.I.P.
Like Jessica said, mental health is an important issue and I am glad that Mrs. Carter had been working on this problem for so long. I was curious what specifically she worked on in terms of mental health --- improving access to resources, destigmatizing mental illness, etc --- so I looked it up and found that she focused a lot on caregivers of people with mental illness or other chronic illnesses and disabilities, including establishing the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers at her alma mater, Georgia Southwestern State University, and co-authoring a book "Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers." I found this really interesting because I have never seen much focus on this particular area by many of the politicians or other respected figures who focus on mental health. By focusing on a specific subset of people to help, Mrs. Carter was able to maximize the direct impact of her actions.
This article is incredibly interesting, as I previously knew some details of Rosalynn Carters contributions to American politics, but was not keen on the amount of work she put towards fighting the stigmatization of mental health issues in America, especially during the late 70s and early 80s, when it was a major conflict. Additionally, it is inspiring to see the amount of change she truly caused with her belief in the de-stigmatization of mental health as well as her non-profit efforts, as I never knew the Carter Foundation nearly eradicated the Guinea worm disease entirely over several decades. Ultimately, Mrs. Carter serves an incredible example of how dedication in American politics to solve an issue at hand is not always in vain as some believe today.
R.I.P.
I didn't know much about Rosalynn Carter, so this article was extremely insightful! I think it was very sweet that her husband referred to her as his best political advisor. Furthermore, I think it is very important to appreciate her efforts to advocate for issues that weren't necessarily talked about. I hope more people like Rosalynn follow their way back into the white house, as we need more people--especially women--to advocate for social welfare
Also connecting to Lipika's comment, I think it is interesting that she focused on mental health for caregivers-- I wonder how this affected her relationship as an elderly woman with people within her community.
This was a very interesting article to read and learn more about Rosalynn Carter, who was an inspiring woman advocating for less normalized topics that had to be addressed. A great leader is someone who is fearless, and she obviously knew her morals and did what she saw necessary to bring positive change. I also find it very inspiring to hear that she talked about mental health in 1966, a time where is was definitely less talked about and even frowned upon. Heartbreaking to hear about her passing, but I am so glad to have learned about her impact and how much change she was able to bring throughout her life. Rest in peace Rosalynn.
It's intriguing that her interest in mental health advocacy began in 1966, as nowhere in my understanding of US History has mental health policy gained great momentum, although attitudes towards mental health have definitely changed over the generations... I probably need to do more research, but I think that part of the reason why mental health isn't discussed enough is that experts aren't always at the forefront of the discussion: I've seen the most talk about mental health on social media, where misinformation is rampant; additionally, entertainment (films, novels, etc.) may misleadingly depict mental health disorders. And I think that to combat this confusion and underrepresentation, media companies should feature more expert opinions and firsthand sufferers' experiences. I guess that might be a first step to honoring Ms. Carter's legacy. (Though I think this kind of journalism is starting to take off, with more independent photojournalists and reporters popping up on social media, where they conduct interviews with addicts, unhoused people, and more).
After reading Lipi's comment on her involvement in supporting caregivers, Ms. Carter seems like someone passionate about social issues that America might take an interest in addressing.
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