Eleanor Roosevelt

Hello! My name is Eleanor Roosevelt. I was born in New York City on October 11th, 1884. As a girl, I was quite shy and sometimes felt a little lonely, but I had a big imagination and an even bigger love for books and learning. My childhood wasn't always easy, and I spent a lot of time by myself with my books. This taught me to be strong and to care deeply for other people, especially those who might also feel alone or forgotten. I learned that even a quiet girl could have a big heart.

When I was fifteen years old, in 1899, my life changed when I went to a special school in England called Allenswood Academy. My headmistress, Marie Souvestre, was an amazing teacher. She saw something special in me and encouraged me to think for myself and to believe that I could make a difference in the world. She helped me find my confidence. A few years later, I returned to the United States, and on March 17th, 1905, I married my distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As he began his career in politics, I started to find my own path, too, using the lessons I learned from Marie Souvestre to help people in my community.

In 1921, a great challenge came into our lives when my husband Franklin became very ill with polio. The illness made it so he could no longer walk easily. I wanted to help him continue his work, so I became his 'eyes and ears.' I traveled all over the country to meet people where they lived and worked. I visited coal miners deep underground, farmers in their fields, and families who were struggling to make ends meet. When Franklin became president of the United States in 1933, I continued my travels as First Lady. I believed it was important to see how Americans were really living so I could share their stories and we could find ways to help them.

I knew I wanted to be a different kind of First Lady, one who didn't just stay in the White House. I started writing a newspaper column called 'My Day' to share my thoughts and experiences with people all across America. I also held my own press conferences, but I only invited women reporters because they were often not given the same chances as men. Most importantly, I used my voice to speak out for the rights of all people, no matter their skin color or background. In 1939, a very talented singer named Marian Anderson wasn't allowed to perform in a big concert hall because she was Black. I thought this was wrong, so I helped arrange for her to sing at the beautiful Lincoln Memorial for everyone to hear.

After my husband passed away in 1945, World War II finally came to an end. But my work was not finished. I wanted to keep working for peace and understanding between all countries. President Harry S. Truman asked me to be a delegate to the new United Nations, an organization created to help countries work together. There, I was given a very important job: I helped lead a team to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This special document, which was adopted on December 10th, 1948, lists the rights and freedoms that every single person in the world should have, simply because they are human.

I continued my work for many years, traveling the world, speaking, and writing about fairness and human rights for everyone. I lived to be 78 years old, passing away in 1962. Because I believed that we are all part of one big human family, people started calling me the 'First Lady of the World.' I hope my story encourages you to use your own voice to speak up for what is right and to help others. You can help make our world a kinder and more fair place for everyone.