As subscribers, supporters or members of the Carter Centre, some of us received two official notifications of the passage of the matriarch, Rosalynn Carter, hours after it happened on 19th November 2023, aged 96.
Jason Carter, her grandson and Chair of the Carter Centre Board of Trustees wrote in a short email:
“With heavy hearts my family and I inform you of my grandmother’s passing. One of the greatest legacies she leaves behind is The Carter Centre, and her work there would not have been possible without you. She has been grateful for your support of her remarkable efforts to improve the welfare of people everywhere, whether by working to eradicate diseases, reducing the stigma of mental illnesses, or bringing peace to far corners of the world. Thank you for your continued partnership.”
Paige Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of The Carter Centre wrote a longer letter:
“Dear Ogie, today, we are saddened to share with you the news of Rosalynn Carter’s passing. A remarkable woman, Mrs. Carter leaves a powerful legacy as a strong and visionary co-founder of The Carter Center, a pioneering first lady, a Mental Health champion, and a much-beloved matriarch. She touched the hearts of millions with her warmth, generosity, and compassion. We, along with countless others, mourn her loss. Rosalynn Carter was a light in our world. She used her powerful and influential voice to bring hope to the most vulnerable. For over six decades, she championed positive change in mental health awareness here and abroad. President Carter often said that if The Carter Centre had done nothing else in its more than 40-year history than Mrs. Carter’s mental health work, it would have been worth it. Mrs. Carter was a strong partner with President Carter in projects to resolve conflict, advance human rights, and improve global health through the work of The Carter Center. Their love and respect for each other, their family, and humanity stand as a bright beacon and example for us all. Please help us celebrate Mrs. Carter’s legacy by signing the official online condolence book at RosalynnCarterTribute.org. Together, we will ensure that the work and vision of Mrs. Carter live on.”
What else can one write to celebrate this icon of a generation who stood by her husband through thick and thin and whose motto was, “Do what you can to show you care about others, and you will make our world a better place?”
This former First Lady of the United States did not pull punches when it came to helping the poor, especially those in developing countries and whose husband, 39th US President Jimmy Carter is still alive at 99 – the oldest US President ever.
Rosalynn Carter, writer and activist served as the first lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981, as the wife of President Carter. Throughout her decades of public service, she was perhaps best known for being a leading advocate for women’s rights and mental health. Mrs. Carter was well recognized as a working partner and trusted adviser to the president, a participant in foreign and domestic affairs, and an astute political strategist. She is known to be first president’s wife to carry a briefcase to a White House office on a daily basis.
She traveled extensively overseas, promoting both her own projects and the president’s policies, and after the White House years, for the Carter Centre. Such included trips to Nigeria in 2007, as part of efforts to advance peace and health in the world’s poorest nations.
She established the Carter Centre’s Mental Health Programme to continue her work to combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and promote improved mental health care in the United States and abroad. She also chaired the Carter Centre Mental Health Task Force, a group of individuals in a position to affect public policy; hosted an annual gathering of national mental health leaders to foster greater consensus on pivotal national policy issues; and established the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism to encourage accurate, in-depth reporting about mental health issues.
In 1987, Mrs. Carter founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers at Georgia Southwestern State University to support those who selflessly cared for others and build on her belief that “there are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” The Rosalynn Carter Institute began by helping caregivers in Georgia through direct service programs. Today it serves all family caregivers, which number over 40 million people in the United States. Under Mrs. Carter’s leadership, the RCI has increased public awareness of caregiver needs, advanced public and social policies to support caregivers, and become a catalyst for change.
Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on August 18, 1927, in Plains, Georgia, she married Jimmy Carter in 1946 and they had four children and 12 grandchildren.
Among her many honours were the “Into the Light” Award from the National Mental Health Association; the Award of Merit for Support of the Equal Rights Amendment from the National Organization for Women; the Notre Dame Award for International Service; the Foundation for Hospice and Homecare Lifetime Achievement Award; United Seniors Health Cooperative Senior Advocate Award; the U.S. Surgeon General’s Medallion; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian recognition. In 2001, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Rosalynn Carter was the author of five books: her autobiography First Lady from Plains; Everything To Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, a book co-authored with President Carter and inspired by their life after the White House; Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book For Caregivers (with Susan K. Golant); Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers (with Susan K. Golant), which was selected as the winner of the 1999 American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book Award in the service category, and Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis (with Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade).
IMAGE CREDIT/SOURCE: Carter Centre
