Remembering President Carter

 January 9, 2025

The Global Justice Institute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On this National Day of Mourning for the 39th President of the United States, James Earl Carter, Jr., more commonly known as Jimmy Carter, the Council of Bishops of the Global Justice Institute honors President Carter’s legacy as a humanitarian, peacemaker, person of faith, and servant-leader.

Vice President Harris in her eulogy of the 39th president noted that “he appointed more Black Americans to the federal bench than all of his predecessors combined, and appointed five times as many women.”

President Carter also appointed Patricia Roberts Harris as the first Black woman to a cabinet position (HUD Secretary), even though Mary McLeod Bethune led FDR’s unofficial “Black Cabinet.”  

Carter appointed Juanita Kreps as Secretary of Commerce, and later would add Shirley Hufstedler as Secretary of Education. He also appointed 3 of only 5 women to ever serve as under-secretaries in the Cabinet up until that time. 

Before taking office, candidate Jimmy Carter said, “I will appoint qualified women early in my administration and in substantial numbers. They will not be in a few token positions at the top…but in jobs of importance throughout the government.” 

Within a year of taking office, about 14% of women appointed were in top policy positions. By the end of 1979, 22% of appointees were women and 20 women were on the White House Staff. 

The Carter administration became the first to invite Lesbian and Gay rights activists to the White House to discuss federal policy regarding employment discrimination against gays and lesbians in the federal government. 

For decades after he left the White House, Carter continued to model public service with his work for Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Presidential Center. 

As a former president, Mr. Carter became a prominent voice in support of LGBTQ+ rights. He advocated for marriage equality at a time when most national leaders still opposed it. Carter was a Nobel Peace Prize winner, author, person of faith, and generally considered to be one of the most effective former presidents in our history. He also outlived all other presidents (so far), dying at the age of 100 a year after his wife Roslyn passed away. 

President Carter said this about homosexuality in a 2012 interview: "Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born, and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things ... [Jesus] never said that gay people should be condemned."

President Carter taught Sunday School in Plains, GA for 40+ years, sometimes drawing crowds as large as 500 (the town’s population is less than 600). And after 37 years of teaching at Emory University, Mr. Carter was granted tenure in 2019.

Rev. Dr. Rene DuBois, a member of the Global Justice Institute’s Government and  Policy Team, said, “President Carter demonstrated what a decent person can achieve in the world.”

Good leaders need empathy, compassion, generosity, and integrity. Jimmy Carter demonstrated each of these gifts. May more leaders do so in our time, and may James Earl Carter, Jr.s’ memory bless all who hold it, even as we bless the beautiful memory of his life of service. 

In celebration of a life well-lived,

The Council of Bishops

The Global Justice Institute 

Bishop Pat Bumgardner, Founder & Executive Director

Bishop Jim Merritt (Eastern Europe)

Bishop Robert Griffin (Caribbean & Africa)

Bishop Durrell Watkins (Communications & Trans* visibility)

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