Isabel Wilkerson Instagram – What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance.
Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms.
By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world.
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Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter
Slide 2: With John Lewis
Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy
Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter
Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way
Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid | Posted on 10/Jan/2025 03:54:15
