Thanks to Pam P.
While it’s no secret that Jimmy Carter is among the most overlooked and dismissed U.S. presidents of the modern era — and yet — he’s also one of the more remarkable and impactful leaders of the last 50 years of American history.
Carter’s time in the White House was short-lived and shrouded in high-profile crises; his poor showmanship and communication skills left him with poor media coverage and sub-par approval ratings. All of this largely overshadowed Carter’s presidential impact as an early adopter of climate action and his profound focus on human rights in foreign policy.
His post-presidency is where Carter finally earned well-deserved public praise. After losing his re-election campaign, Carter graciously accepted defeat and returned to his humble life in Georgia. He quickly got to work establishing The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization with the mission to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope.
By and large, the organization has succeeded in that mission.
Carter and the Center committed to preventing and eradicating diseases throughout the global south, served as leaders in the advancement of human rights, and played a significant role in the impact of Habitat for Humanity.
Under his watch, Guinea worm disease has dropped from 3.5 million annual cases to only 15 total cases in 2021 —and we’ve seen significant progress in the fight against other potentially eradicable diseases. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
On February 18, 2023, the Carter Center released a statement saying that Carter, 98, made the decision to spend his “remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”
Carter’s long life of service, speeches, and writing have resulted in countless inspiring quotes about what it means to live a life of service and hopefulness and the role each of us can play in making our world a better place.
Click on Page 2 for many more quotes