SS America

(Alfred Eisenstaedt. 1939)

Happy 132nd birthday, Eleanor Roosevelt!

Born today in 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt was a passionate advocate for human rights, including gender equality around the world. Join her granddaughter Anna Eleanor Roosevelt for a keynote discussion at the National Conversation on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality at the National Archives at New York on October 21.

Register now to attend or livestream the keynote conversation, along with four additional panels exploring the current state of women’s rights and gender equality in the United States.

The “National Conversation on Rights and Justice” in New York City is presented in part by AT&T, Ford Foundation, Seedlings Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the National Archives Foundation.

Image: “Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lake Success, New York,” 11/1949.

Eleanor Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother on their way to the White House

Gelatin silver print, 1939

Eleanor Roosevelt at Buckingham Palace with the Royal Family

Nitrate negative, 1940s

Gillian Anderson & Emma Corrin at Letters Live

Both Gillian and Emma appeared on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night (30th Oct 2021) to help raise money for fantastic causes.

Gillian’s two letters included ‘Follow your dreams, not your boyfriends’ [pictured above], a letter from Gillian to her 16 year old self (prev published here.) She also read ‘She was more than a saint’ written about Eleanor Roosevelt in a letter by Martha Gellhorn to Adlai Stevenson. Gillian will soon play Eleanor Roosevelt in the Showtime series, ‘The First Lady.’

Emma’s two letters were ‘May your work be condemned to the pastry–cook’s shop’ by Jane Austen to her brothers, and ‘Does everyone really have something good in them?’ by Margaret Veglahn to Harper Lee.

Keep up to date with the Letters Live YouTube channel as it’s possible videos of these new stage performances may appear in the near future. Past performances by Gillian Anderson,Olivia Colman,Claire Foy and many others are already available to view.

If you enjoy inspiring and powerful letters, consider donating to the National Literacy Trust if you are able, or buying Letters of Note books and audios.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948.  Eleanor Roosevelt felt it was the greatest achievement of her life.

She was part of the first American delegation to the United Nations. When the UN established a permanent Commission on Human Rights, they unanimously elected Eleanor Roosevelt as chair. She also chaired the subcommittee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights consists of a preamble and 30 articles that outline the fundamental human rights that must be universally protected. 

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home…”

More – Eleanor Roosevelt and Human Rights for All

fdrlibrary:

Cool off while watching this fun video of Eleanor Roosevelt and close friend Marion Dickerman ice skating. This film was donated to the FDR Library by the family of Marguerite LeHand.

#NationalBestFriendsDay#RooseveltsOnFilm

Today in History: Eleanor Roosevelt Resigns from the DAR in Support of Marian Anderson

Eleanor Roosevelt first met African American contralto opera singer Marian Anderson in 1935 when the singer was invited to perform at the White House.

Ms. Anderson had performed throughout Europe to great praise, and after the White House concert the singer focused her attentions on a lengthy concert tour of the United States. Beginning in 1936, Anderson sang an annual concert to benefit the Howard University School of Music in Washington, DC. These benefit concerts were so successful, that each year larger and larger venues had to be found.

In January 1939, Howard University petitioned the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to use its Washington, DC auditorium called Constitution Hall for a concert to be scheduled over Easter weekend that year. Constitution Hall was built in the late 1920s to house the DAR’s national headquarters and host its annual conventions. It seated 4,000 people, and was the largest auditorium in the capital. As such, it was the center of the city’s fine arts and music events universe.          

However, in 1939, Washington, DC was still a racially segregated city. As part of the original funding arrangements for Constitution Hall, major donors had insisted that only whites could perform on stage.This unwritten white-performers-only policy was enforced against African American singer/actor Paul Robeson in 1930. Additionally, blacks who attended events there were seated in a segregated section of the Hall.

The organizers of Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert hoped that Anderson’s fame and reputation would encourage the DAR to make an exception to its restrictive policy. But the request was denied anyway, and despite pressure from the press, other great artists, politicians, and a new organization called the Marian Anderson Citizens Committee (MACC), the DAR held fast and continued to deny Anderson use of the Hall.

On February 26, 1939, Mrs. Roosevelt submitted her letter of resignation to the DAR president, declaring that the organization had “set an example which seems to me unfortunate” and that the DAR had “an opportunity to lead in an enlightened way” but had “failed to do so.” That same day, she sent a telegram to an officer of the Marian Anderson Citizens Committee publicly expressing for the first time her disappointment that Anderson was being denied a concert venue. Read More 

Images:

Eleanor Roosevelt’s DAR resignation letter, 2/26/39.

Eleanor Roosevelt to John Lovell, Jr. of Howard University. February 26, 1939.

-from the FDR Library

Happiness is not a goal…it’s a by-product of a life well-lived.

— Eleanor Roosevelt

fdrlibrary:

After FDR’s death on April 12, 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt famously told reporters that her story was over. But the new American president Harry Truman had different ideas. Learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt and the United Nations: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/eleanor-roosevelt-and-the-united-nations/ARaxRSs-

Iconic First Ladies of the United States

1. As First Lady, Dolley Madison founded an orphanage for girls in Washington, D.C., and redecorated the White House to give it a more stately look. Check out our website on Mrs. Madison.

2.Eleanor Roosevelt was an early civil rights activist, insisting that New Deal benefits be extended to African Americans in an equal manner. Check out our website on Mrs. Roosevelt.

3.Jacqueline Kennedy renovated and refurbished the White House, while also extending support for the arts in America. Check out bios of Kennedy women here.

4. National beautification became Lady Bird Johnson’s cause of choice. She led efforts in improving physical conditions in Washington, D.C., in particular. Check out our website on Mrs. Johnson.

5.Rosalynn Carter sat in on Cabinet meetings (which was then unprecedented) and supported reform for mental health legislation and aiding senior citizens. Learn more about Mrs. Carter here.

6.Hillary Clinton headed the Task Force on National Health Care Reform and traveled to over 75 countries during her time as First Lady. Read our biography of Mrs. Clinton here.

(All photos via Library of Congress.)

blackinperiodfilms:

The First Lady (2022) Official Trailer | SHOWTIME

A revelatory reframing of American leadership through the lens of the First Ladies. Starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, this series delves deep into the Ladies’ personal and political lives. Exploring everything from their journeys to Washington, family life, and world-changing political contributions, the impact of the White House’s women is no longer hidden from view. Starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. 

Watch the premiere on Sunday, April 17 on SHOWTIME.