Today we take a moment to recognize the life and legacy of former President, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter, a man whose second Act (after politics) proved even more formidable than his first. In 1976, after winning the state election, then Georgia Governor Carter in his inaugural address positioned civil rights as one of the key elements of his administration. Much to the dismay of Georgia segregationists, he noted “The time for racial discrimination is over. No poor rural white or black person should ever have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job or simple justice.” Governor Carter went on to appoint Black people to serve at every level of state government. When the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted, Governor Carter (since Georgia did not have any federal referees to enforce it) took the steps to deputize local high school principals as registrators so that they could register voters at their school. His work to build bridges with the Black community led to them overwhelmingly supporting his presidential campaign.
History has shown us that President Carter was at times a fickle friend to the Black community, from his wavering support for busing to integrate schools to his opposition to legislating the integration of white neighborhoods. During his time in office, in addition to his much noted missteps, he also worked to advance the causes (as much as he could) for civil rights, women’s rights, human rights abroad and the environment. After his one-term as a president, Carter, along with his wife Rosalynn, poured his time and energy into the Carter Center. According to Emory University President James Laney, “Jimmy Carter is the only person in history for whom the presidency was a stepping stone.” The Carter Center focused on addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the planet, from conflict-resolution to disease eradication; promoting and protecting democratic elections to sustainable development. Additionally his 30 years of work with the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Habitat led to more than 4,447 homes in 14 countries being built, renovated or repaired.
In his Presidential Medal of Freedom citation presented to Coretta Scott King for her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., former President Carter wrote that Dr. King “gazed at the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. He made our nation stronger because he made it better.” We at ASALH would say similar for him, President Carter gazed at the walls erected to keep marginalized people around the globe from the halls of justice and democracy and he saw that the relentless power of love manifested through daily acts of community-engaged work could bring them down. He has made our nations stronger because he did the work to try and make them better.