The first game day of the year was finally here – the tailgates were set up, the music was blaring, people were decked out in the Saturday best – and I was in Atlanta, far from the excitement, at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
To clarify, I still love Auburn Football, but my museum-obsessed family decided to make a trip to Atlanta and I simply couldn’t pass up a chance to spend time with them and to check another presidential library off of my list.
My family and I, as strong museum enthusiasts, have set a goal for ourselves to visit all 13 presidential libraries. It is, I admit, a strange goal, but these museums are fascinating because they show an exclusive view into the lives of the president, from their birth to their legacy.
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the first presidential library when he sought to preserve the historic materials of the presidency. Former President Harry Truman followed the precedent and set up his library, and the National Archives then collected all of Former President Herbert Hoover’s presidential material and dedicated the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. Now, from Hoover on, all of the presidents have their own library and museum all around the country.
Recent presidential eras tend to be glossed over in history classes during high school, so the events of Carter’s administration were almost new to me. I learned about the energy crisis and the Egyptian/Israeli peace negotiation in depth as I watched videos and viewed artifacts from the occasions.
The thing that stuck out to me the most in the Jimmy Carter Museum were the issues on human rights. Carter grew up on a peanut farm in rural Georgia when segregation was law. However, he lived in a community where African Americans were his closest friends and role models. When he moved back to Georgia after his career in the Navy, Carter was driven to run for governor when the then-candidate used pro-segregation speeches as his campaign.
While segregation has long been over, racial issues still run rampant in our society. It was eye-opening to see the parallels of a campaign today and a campaign 53 years ago. Carter worked tirelessly to bring the American people the rights that they deserved, and still works for that cause today on a global scale.
After his presidency, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, created the Carter Center alongside his library and museum. This center works alongside Emory University to advocate for human rights, eradicate diseases and improve health, and prevent or resolve conflicts.
President and Mrs. Carter didn’t stop their work after the four years in the White House. At 91 and 89, both still work at the Center to fight for the causes that they hold so dear.
The museum displays the Nobel Peace Prize that President Carter won in 2002. Alongside this prize are President and Mrs. Carter’s Presidential Medals of Freedom and, surprisingly, President Carter’s Grammy for the audiobook of his memoir. Seeing these awards up close is both fascinating and thought-provoking, and again reminded me of the Carter’s achievements.
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is only about two hours away from Auburn, and costs only $6 for students. For those of you that maybe don’t have a pact to see every presidential library, it is still a great place to learn more about issues that still plague us today, while also having fun and enjoying the beautiful park that the library resides on. Grab a friend, fill up your gas tank and get educated this semester!
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