Introducing Eleanor Roosevelt

Upon the death of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt became an icon in her own right as a vocal champion of international human rights. Most importantly perhaps, she chaired the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which she described as “the international Magna Carta of all mankind.” She also supported the United Nations and helped to found Freedom House, an organization dedicated to the promotion of democratic values. Her work earned her the moniker “First Lady of the World” by President Harry S. Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt is my avatar not only because I, IntLawGrrl Beth Van Schaack, admire her, but also because she is a distant relative (the Van Schaacks and the Roosevelts inter-married). I look forward to continuing the conversation here in various shades of pink.