James Earl Carter (1924-2024). His name James Earl Carter junior was not a famous one, for few knew him by that name. But millions knew him by his nickname, his high-voltage smile and his Georgia accent as “Jimmy” Carter, American President.
Of all the modern presidents he was perhaps the smartest as he dabbled in nuclear physics and found his footing in politics after the scandal of Watergate as a political outsider. But inpolitical terms, because he lost re-election, he was treated as a political leper. Carter, known as an avatar of human rights, lived a remarkable post-presidency as much as did his wife Rosalynn who served the poor by building thousands of houses, treated chronic diseases in Africa, and monitored elections worldwide.
His recent death after one hundred years of life marked a truly remarkable life. His 1980 election loss to former actor Ronald Reagan also marked a turning point in American politics. Why? Carter lost in part because the Iranians took American hostages and held them until Reagan took office. Some political observers say high inflation was also a factor, but that wasn’t the real reason.
Carter lost, principally, because when he first ran for the presidency he won some 75 percent of the white evangelical vote. When he ran for re-election that number had fallen to around 25 percent, which meant a fall of some 50 points. No politician can survive such a plunge. Carter announced and aired his support for civil rights. White evangelicals fled in terror. Why? Because for them Christianity meant whiteness, and segregation was in furtherance of whiteness. Think of recent evangelical support for Trump. Evangelicals equals whiteness. It did then. It does now. Seen in in this light, Black Liberation amounts to anathema. A little lesson from history. With love not fear, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.