Freedom Center reflection on the life of President Jimmy Carter

By Woodrow Keown Jr., President, Freedom CenterWoodrow Keown Jr. Photo providedUpon the passing of President Jimmy Carter, we reflect on a life dedicated to good and kindness, human dignity and equity. President Carter was a gentle man, even in the cruelest times. He was a man who, despite his era and geography, came to stand up for civil rights and spoke out against segregation and racial discrimination. The Georgia farmer applauded the 1965 passage of the Civil Rights Act, memorialized the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., and expanded a voice and platform for LGBTQ+ rights.During his presidency – as turmoil gripped southeast and southwest Asia, large swaths of Africa and at the fringes of the Soviet Union – President Carter appealed for peace.During the longest post-presidency in our nation’s history, President Carter devoted his life to improving communities – within the United States and globally. He is well known and rightly celebrated for his work with Habitat for Humanity, through which he helped build over 4,400 houses in 14 countries. He also worked to eradicate infectious diseases around the globe, increase access to mental health resources and protect human rights through his Carter Center. He and the Carter Center...