AAUW Dialog

Searching the back corners of my mind, I vaguely remember a saying that the opposite of truth is not lies but ignorance. This came to mind recently while reading an earlier AAUW blog post, Time to Draw the Line on Tucker Max, a man who delights in bashing women and yet who has a large following, yes, of women. You have to believe these women are ignorant of the repercussions such a lack of respect has for all women, even if it is labeled “humor.”

The saying resurfaced today as I realized that the anniversary of Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday is Sunday, October 11. She was such a champion of ending ignorance, especially by and about women. The White House bio of her doesn’t really highlight all her accomplishments (but is still an interesting read), and searching her name online brings up thousands of other mentions, book references, and quotes. I found one with an unusual angle written just last month: Overcoming an Unexpected Relationship Breakup — Eleanor Roosevelt. I liked another reference in particular because it focused on her human rights work:

Although she had already won international respect and admiration in her role as First Lady to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt’s work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would become her greatest legacy. She was without doubt, the most influential member of the UN’s Commission on Human Rights.

In 1961, John F. Kennedy appointed Eleanor Roosevelt chair of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, which according to About.com was to “explore issues relating to women and to make proposals in such areas as employment policy, education and federal Social Security and tax laws relating to women.” One of the items that came from this commission was the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Although equal pay still has not been achieved, the Paycheck Fairness Act aims to get us closer to that goal. AAUW strongly supports the act — and you can too!

Since I’m a bit of a history buff, I’ve written previous posts about Eleanor’s impact and even what she would do if she were alive today. AAUW branches and states also celebrate Eleanor’s life; this year the AAUW Huntley (IL) Branch, the AAUW Lansdale (PA) Branch, and AAUW of New York all marked her accomplishments.

And Eleanor’s name is being mentioned again, in another context, with the release later this month of The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything, which is “modeled on a study undertaken almost 50 years ago during the administration of John F. Kennedy, [Maria] Shriver’s uncle, and led by Eleanor Roosevelt.” More information will be available about the report next week.

One last thought about Eleanor as a person — I admire how her position and ultimate fame did not appear to keep her from representing every woman, not just those privileged. She herself said, “As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.” Please join me in toasting one great lady on her birthday. Here’s to you, Eleanor Roosevelt!