Rosalynn Carter, the longtime confidante and afterthought of her husband, President Jimmy Carter, passed away at age 96 on Sunday at their home in Plains, Georgia, after a lengthy battle with dementia. She was a devoted activist on issues such as mental health, the homeless, and equality for women and girls. She was heralded by President Joe Biden as inspiring the nation, early in the week, and reaction from world leaders poured in throughout the day after she passed away. Unlike many previous first ladies, she was deeply involved in the policymaking of the Carter administration and even sat in on Cabinet meetings. The former commander in chief, Joe Biden, called her activism a source of grace and said she and her husband had brought such great integrity to the office.
Rosalynn broke the mould of conventional first ladies, championing her causes for mental health, homeless, and advocated for the often unseen caregivers of children and the elderly. President Carter often referred to her as his best friend, someone whom he depended on and ran ideas by her before he spoke to his aides. The former president, Jimmy Carter, trusted his wife so much that in his early years as president, he sent her on a mission to Latin America to deliver a message about human rights. After the Carters left the White House in 1980, they co-founded The Carter Center in Atlanta to continue their humanitarian work, despite Mrs. Carter’s worries about returning to the small town of Plains. This truly is a huge loss for the nation and the world at large.
Rosalynn Carter was remembered for her distinguished contributions to mental health advocacy. After leaving Washington, the Carters also co-founded The Carter Center in Atlanta to continue their humanitarian work. Here, Rosalynn lead the center’s annual symposium on mental health issues and fundraise for initiatives to aid the mentally ill and homeless. and even wrote books about the challenges of caring for elderly or ailing relatives. The Carter’s travelled and often engaged in missions to build houses with Habitat for Humanity and promote public health and democracy across the developing world. Despite the challenges they faced, including Jimmy Carter’s bout with cancer, Rosalynn Carter has left a legacy as an advocate for mental health and a trailblazer for female leaders for future generations.
