Eleanor Roosevelt

 

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"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent", Eleanor Roosevelt's quote can relate to everyone's life. At some point, people will try to put you down, or try and hold you back from succeeding. It can be an inspirational quote for women to break the "specific gender roles" surrounding certain occupations.  In previous elections, the debate surrounding whether society is ready for a woman president took full swing. While, the debate has some merit, I challenge you to realize that the United States has already had a powerful woman in office. Eleanor Roosevelt was a powerful strong First Lady. Married to Franklin Roosevelt. Her life, did not begin as a fairytale or knowing she was on the path to the White House. As a young child, Eleanor experienced heartache and death fairly soon with the death of her mother. She was quickly sent to live with another female relative who was very belittling and who would even call her ugly. It was a dark time in her past, but one that would influence her for the challenging years ahead, when times got tough  Eleanor drew on her childhood for strength. After having a life changing experience when visiting a poor community and seeing the conditions the families with children were living in, it was in that moment that she found her calling. With her compassion, Eleanor spent most of her life focusing on charity work and how to make the world a better place. She was constantly working to help the less fortunate. After getting married, the Roosevelt's began their public career together, with the help of Franklin's  uncle Theodore Roosevelt, a previous President of the United States. FDR had many successes during his terms, especially with the introduction of the New Deal program during the Great Depression. He was so successful and liked as a president that he was elected for four terms, something quite unheard of back then.  During Franklin's fourth term his long term battle with the medical condition polio became worse and caused his presidency to be extremely difficult. In many, occasions it was rumored that Eleanor took over her husbands duties by signing important documents, and making decisions, while her wheelchair ridden husband was unable to fulfill his duties. Without someone with Eleanor Roosevelt's courage, who knows where the country would be today. It is important that the future female leaders dig deep and find the same courage, and bravery.