Former U.S. President and honored humanitarian, James “Jimmy” Carter died Sunday, December 29 at 100 years old. After this news quickly circulated the globe, current President Joe Biden declared January 9 as a National Day of Mourning. While the National Day of Mourning does not qualify as a national holiday, January 9 serves as a break for the majority of federal employees.
As Carter grew older and finished out his presidential term he remained an avid admirer of U.S. politics. In hopes of bettering life for people around the world, Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter focused on building up The Carter Center to fund a variety of Carter’s philanthropic efforts. Carter’s global initiatives included working to resolve social issues, improve collaboration efforts through international agencies and improve health by eliminating preventable diseases. While Carter’s death impacts Georgians and fellow democrats, his works continue to stand strong, spreading his legacy.
While Carter surpassed his late wife Rosalynn, who died Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 96 years old, he continued his time in hospice care for nearly a year after until his death. Carter fought metastatic melanoma, a difficult-to-treat cancer, for 10 years and successfully beat the odds of the illness. Carter spent his last days in his home in Plains, Georgia, and shortly after, long-time friend President Biden issued the National Day of Mourning in respect to his life.
“Jimmy Carter is a uniquely fascinating figure in American history because he is celebrated as a head of state and government on this day of mourning and at his funeral and later today at his burial in Plains [Georgia]. Carter was certainly [an involved citizen] and I think that this day of mourning and recognition and celebration of a life that did not just involve being a person in the Oval Office who made decisions and signed executive orders and signed bills into laws, but a person who was actively engaged in his community. And I think that is what is really important, a kind of reminder that there are things we still do together as a country and things we do together that matter,” Advanced Placement (AP) Comparative Government and Politics teacher Carolyn Galloway said.
President Biden desired to pay homage to Carter’s life after six days of memorial services and on the day of his funeral. Carter first laid in repose at the Carter Center and later traveled to Washington, DC for his state funeral and then back to Plains, Georgia for his private funeral service where he now lays alongside Rosalynn. During Carter’s State funeral in Washington, D.C., President Biden delivered a eulogy celebrating Carter’s generous character and their almost 50-year friendship.
Due to President Biden’s admiration for Carter’s accomplishments, the December 30 executive order declared that all executive departments and agencies of the U.S. federal government would remain closed January 9 for the National Day of Mourning. In addition to the various closures, Biden also ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-mast on all federal buildings for the following 30 days.
“I very much wanted to go to his repose at the Carter Center but unfortunately I had other obligations and wasn’t able to, I think it has been a really lovely moment for people to reflect upon his legacy. There have been a lot of interesting articles in the local papers about things that people may have forgotten about or maybe never knew about his legacy such as public education in Georgia, his role as governor in Georgia and some really interesting prison reforms in Georgia during the 1970s. There has kind of been a kind of resurgence of reflections upon [his life] which is something that happens when people slow down and reflect on the wholeness of a person’s life,” Galloway said.
While Carter no longer dwells on Earth, President Biden brought recognition to his life-long achievements on the National Day of Mourning. Not only did January 9 celebrate his life through his funeral, but the National Day of Mourning created a time to pause and reflect on his unforgettable deeds during and outside of his presidency.
