Eleanor Roosevelt: A Human Rights Activist

As a human rights advocate, a stateswoman, and the First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt became one of the most respected, and cherished woman of her lifetime. Mrs. Roosevelt was born in New York City, New York, and in her teens was educated in the United Kingdom. She married her cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1905, and out of six children only 5 survived. When President Roosevelt was a senator in Albany, and Secretary of the Navy, Mrs. Roosevelt gained her political experience. In 1920 as he contracted Polio, a serious and devastating decease, Mrs. Roosevelt faithfully took care of her husband. He continued to pay attention to politics as she got involved with the State Democratic Committee, and became one of his greatest
Roosevelt became a member of the National Advancement Association of Colored People (NAACP) in 1945, and President Harry Truman made history by being the first American president to give a speech for the NAACP’s convention, which was pushed by Mrs. Roosevelt (gwu.edu).

As a member of the NAACP, the First Lady fought relentlessly alongside Thurgood Marshall and championed equal housing opportunities for blacks. She was also a strong promoter for Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and anti-segregation in the school system. She was so passionate about civil rights that John F. Kennedy sought her support for the African American vote. As John F. Kennedy was part of the Democrats that were not zealous about civil rights, when he became president, Mrs. Roosevelt was unhappy because he lacked interest in the civil rights movement
Roosevelt’s newspaper article, “My Day”, and her speeches were enlightening on the topic of racial issues. She made it clear to her fans the lawful actions the NAACP was taking on the problematic racial matters facing blacks. When the positive decision of the Brown case passed, Mrs. Roosevelt was delighted even though she knew that it would be quite some time before the children would finally be able to attend any school. Additionally, Mrs. Roosevelt had the privilege of serving alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in support of funding the Montgomery Boycott. The integration of blacks in hospitals through the Southern Conference Education Fund, and the freedom to vote was also backed by the former First Lady, even though she was warned of the situation