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“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt is often called the First Lady of the World; however, she was considered highly controversial during her time as the First Lady. She stood firm in what she believed in, publicly and privately pushing back against discriminatory policies, even those enforced by her husband, and often received heavy criticism for her continued advocacy work.
When her husband was elected to the New York Senate, Roosevelt was thrown into the public political scene. She was uncomfortable and wary of this new attention but threw herself into advocacy. Initially unsure about the suffrage movement, she came around and took on leadership roles in multiple suffrage organizations, advocating for women's rights. She was also a teacher at an all-girls school, teaching American literature and history classes, emphasizing current events, social engagement, and independent thought. She maintained her position, teaching three days a week until her husband was elected president. Despite all her work, she didn't really build political clout or significant public support until World War I, when she volunteered with a wide range of relief agencies, advocating for the support of the troops.
Roosevelt was unhappy about her husband running for office because she never wanted to be "a president's wife." Once he was elected, she decided she would never be the perfect hostess she was expected to be. Instead, she quickly became the most politically active first lady in history, completely redefining the role for those who came after her. She wrote thousands of articles, including a monthly column that shared the American public's stories, hardships, and questions, giving a voice to those who felt voiceless. She wrote multiple books, held a weekly press conference for female reporters, and traveled around the nation giving countless speeches. She visited coal mines and picketing veterans and regularly attended labor meetings. Many of her ideas, such as Arthurdale, a planned community for homeless miners and their families, were highly controversial and led to public backlash. But she never let this bother her and continued to fight for what she knew was right.
Roosevelt significantly influenced her husband's political decisions, encouraging him to support more social causes and hire more female staffers. Despite her efforts, her support for racial justice was far beyond her husband's. He was wary of upsetting Southern voters, who still held a discriminatory mindset. She resigned from the Daughters of American Revolution when they refused to allow Black singer Marian Anderson to perform in their building.
During World War II, Roosevelt advocated for women supporting the war effort, encouraging them to take factory jobs before it became a mainstream practice. She also used her sway with her husband to convince him to allow continued immigration of groups persecuted by the Nazis. However, she received a lot of public outcries when she started to support Japanese Americans when they were discriminated against after Pearl Harbor.
Despite her initial hesitation toward politics, Roosevelt did not step back once her husband died. She continued to fight against racial injustice, pushing for desegregation. She fully embraced the cause for world peace and served as a delegate for the United Nations for over a decade. She was the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and helped write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also chaired the President's Commission on the Status of Women, where she helped write the Equal Pay Act and develop a groundbreaking study on gender discrimination.
Roosevelt has received countless awards and recognitions for her work, including an induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame, being named a Hero by the My Hero Project, and even being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The design for this quarter was discussed at the April 19, 2022, Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) meeting. Roosevelt's grandson, Christopher Roosevelt, and granddaughter, Nancy Roosevelt Ireland, were in attendance and shared their thoughts. They felt that the image was an accurate representation of their grandmother, and the hat and dress were definitely something she would have worn. They also felt that the scales of justice were important to include because they represented what she fought for worldwide and how she ran her home.
The coin honors Roosevelt's advocacy work. The image of the world behind the scales of justice shows what she spent most of her life fighting for, and the words “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” highlight one of her greatest accomplishments. It showcases her work beyond the Whitehouse and embraces her honorary title of First Lady of the World.