The Center for Policing Equity (CPE) is deeply saddened by the death of President Jimmy Carter. His advancement of human rights on the international stage, dedication to racial justice here at home, and devotion to a life of service to community should serve as a model to all.
In his early political career in the mid-1960s, President Carter championed voting rights as a Georgia state senator; when elected Georgia's governor, he used his 1971 inaugural address to state unequivocally that "the time for racial discrimination is over," going on to dramatically increase the number of Black people appointed and hired to serve in the state's institutions. During his time in the White House (1977-1981), President Carter supported Affirmative Action, signed an executive order to significantly increase the participation of historically Black colleges and universities [HBCUs] in federally sponsored programs, and expanded the ranks of Black people serving in the federal government and presidential cabinet; many were the first Black person to hold their positions, including Clifford L. Alexander, first Black secretary of the army, and Andrew Young, first Black U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
After leaving the White House, President Carter founded The Carter Center with a "fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering… to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health," grounding the center's work in careful analysis, measurable results, and uplifting the experience and voices of those closest to the problems it sought to address. In 1991 the center launched the Atlanta Project to focus on social justice issues in the nation's cities, and in 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for undertaking peace negotiations, campaigning for human rights, and working for social welfare."
In recent years, President Carter came to be especially associated with his partnership with Habitat for Humanity–work that often saw him, along with his wife Rosalynn, picking up a hammer as a construction volunteer. In the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, President Carter issued a statement that left no doubt as to where he stood on the issue of racial justice:
In my 1971 inaugural address as Georgia’s governor, I said: “The time for racial discrimination is over.” With great sorrow and disappointment, I repeat those words today, nearly five decades later. Dehumanizing people debases us all; humanity is beautifully and almost infinitely diverse. The bonds of our common humanity must overcome the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.
Since leaving the White House in 1981, Rosalynn and I have strived to advance human rights in countries around the world. In this quest, we have seen that silence can be as deadly as violence. People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say “no more” to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy. We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations.
We are all beneficiaries of President Carter's remarkable legacy; may his passing encourage us to carry that legacy forward toward the racial, social, and international justice to which he devoted so much of his 100 years. CPE extends our condolences and warm wishes for peace and comfort to all who love and now mourn President Carter.