 Jimmy Carter, Austin, Texas (2014), credited to the LBJ Library. OUDC honors former president Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024, at age 100, after a lifetime of service and selfless dedication to helping humanity and fighting discrimination. As Governor of Georgia, Carter shined a light on the State’s segregationist past, boldly stating in his inaugural speech that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter’s governorship focused heavily on civil rights and on streamlining Georgia’s government and he lent strong support to the causes of prison reform, early childhood development, and the needs of mentally disabled children. Governor Carter also directed that a portrait of native Georgian, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., hang in the State Capitol building. As President, President Carter named more Black Americans, Jewish Americans, and women to official positions and judgeships than all of his predecessors combined. (This included appointing Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer as federal Circuit Court judges, posts that preceded their elevation to the U.S. Supreme Court.) Known for his promotion of peace and human rights, President Carter worked hard to mediate the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Camp David Accords his Administration hosted led to historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that survives to this day. |
 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Bhaktapur, Nepal, April 10, 2008. Photo Credit: The Carter Center Following his presidency, President Carter founded the Carter Center, dedicated to the advancement of human rights, democracy, and global health. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the Carter Center focuses on conflict resolution, election monitoring, and disease prevention worldwide. Beginning in 1984, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were active volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, building and improving homes for low-income families across the United States and throughout the world. The annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project has brought attention and resources to the cause of affordable housing. President Carter was also a vocal advocate for women’s rights, racial equality, and nuclear disarmament, working tirelessly to promote peace and justice worldwide. His commitment to human rights was recognized through numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.  Jimmy Carter in Savelugu, Ghana, Februaru 8, 2007. Photo credit: The Carter Center. Operation Understanding DC is proud to be affiliated with The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, which is the academic institution at George Mason University that houses the John Mitchell Jr. Program, OUDC’s partner in presenting the program. In its tribute to President Carter, the Carter School stated: “Jimmy Carter’s dedication to peace and justice was an example to peacebuilders and mediators and his efforts inspired the renaming of George Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution in his honor in 2020.” |
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Photography courtesy Lloyd Wolf / www.lloydwolf.com
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