A year after the death of Rosalynn Carter, the nonprofit founded by the former first lady and her husband is still carrying on her most enduring legacy — addressing mental health.
“Forwarding her legacy has always been our core, especially this past year,” said Ryan Greenstein, associate director of public policy for the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program, which Rosalynn Carter spearheaded.
Tuesday marked the anniversary of the passing of Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, to whom she was married for 77 years. Her funeral was attended by President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton, first lady Jill Biden and every living former first lady.
“It is hard to believe it has been a year,” said Paige Alexander, chief executive of the Carter Center, the Atlanta-based nonprofit founded in 1982 by the Carters. “Thinking back to the amazing memorial service, it is a comforting memory that she was recognized as her own person. That has left us with such a wonderful feeling about her successes.”
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
As the first lady of Georgia, then the United States, Rosalynn Carter used her powerful voice to talk about issues like equality for women and most notably, mental illness.
At the Carter Center, she started the mental health program to promote awareness about mental health issues and reduce the stigma.
“We have to get the word out that mental illnesses can be diagnosed and treated, and almost everyone suffering from mental illness can live meaningful lives in their communities,” Rosalynn Carter once said.
In May of last year, the Carter family announced that the former first lady had dementia. She died a few months after her 96th birthday.
Aside from its fellowship program for mental health journalists, the Carter Center will host the second annual Mental Health Parity Day at the Georgia Capitol in February, followed by the 29th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum in May.
Additionally, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has provided the center with a two-year, $1.5 million grant to, among other initiatives, continue the Georgia Mental Health Parity Awareness Campaign. Last year’s campaign focused on Albany and Savannah. In the new cycle, the center will focus on Atlanta.
“I can’t walk around the state and not hear about Mrs. Carter,” Greenstein said. “The goodwill that we have gotten has been through the roof and redefined our own dedication. She was ahead of her time. She has always been a force and we felt that continue through her passing.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The 100-year-old former president is living in home hospice in Plains.
Alexander said while the former president is no longer active in the Carter Center’s day-to-day operations, he is confident that he has left the organization in good hands.
“He is fully retired,” said Alexander, who joined the center in 2020. “At 100 years old, he wakes up and faces the world.”
Jason Carter, a grandson of the former first couple, chairs the center’s board of trustees.
Jill Stuckey, superintendent of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park in Plains, said a steady stream of visitors on Tuesday were talking about the significance of Rosalynn Carter’s passing while asking her about the health of President Carter.
In a posting on the social media platform X, marking her passing, the Carter Center noted that Rosalynn Carter’s “enduring legacy in mental health, caregiving, and human rights reminds us that anyone can make the world a better place by showing compassion for others.”
“She broke all kinds of barriers that people didn’t even realize,” Alexander said.
