The 32nd first lady wielded an influential—and disruptive—voice on behalf of equality, civil rights and social justice.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s tireless advocacy for social and economic justice made her one of the most admired women of the 20th century. In 12 years of service in the White House, she was a leader in activism and public service. This was far more than any first lady has ever done. After her husband’s 1945 death, she evolved her mission further onto the international stage.
Her causes were wide-ranging, inclusive—and to some, radical. Eleanor advocated for economic equality despite the terrible circumstances of the Great Depression. Eleanor was vocal in her rejection of racial prejudice. She advocated civil rights and economic empowerment for Black Americans. She stood up for the civil rights of Japanese Americans, whom her husband had ordered to be incarcerated during WWII. And she vigorously supported the expansion of women’s rights. When she oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the newly formed United Nations—and lobbied delegations across the globe to adopt it in 1948—President Harry S. Truman called her “the First Lady…
