The Obamas, VP Harris and King family mourn death of former President Jimmy Carter

Tributes are pouring in from Black political leaders following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at 100 after battling cancer.

Weeks after Jimmy Carter cast his 2024 election ballot in Georgia in hopes of electing Kamala Harris as the first woman, first Black woman, and first South Asian president of the United States, the historic vice president praised Carter as a man who was “guided by a deep and abiding faith — in God, in America, and in humanity” and said his life was a “testament to the power of service.”

“As a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, the 76th Governor of Georgia, and the 39th President of the United States,” said the vice president, “He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion.”

“Doug and I send our love and prayers to the Carter family,” said Harris, who remembered Carter’s presidential achievements and his post-office commitment to fighting for “peace, democracy, and human dignity.”

“I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace,” the vice president added. “His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come. Our world is a better place because of President Carter.”

Vice President Harris joined a long list of high-ranking political leaders who publicly saluted President Carter for his legacy of advancing civil and human rights, commitment to diversity, and promoting peace around the globe. Other tributes poured in from President Joe Biden, who delivered live remarks while vacationing for the holiday in St. Croix, President-elect Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Barack and Michelle Obama celebrated Carter’s pioneering efforts to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating more Black judges than any president before him and women’s rights trailblazer Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court. The Obamas also noted that the former president, who served from 1977 to 1981, established groundbreaking environmental reforms and became “one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change.”

The Obamas said that President Carter will be most remembered for his character.

“He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion,” they said. “Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned.”

Jimmy Carter is remembered as a champion for civil rights and equity for Black Americans. The former president considered Martin Luther King, Sr. – father of Martin Luther King, Jr. – a close confidant and a part of his “kitchen cabinet.” 

Following his death, Dr. Bernice King, daughter of King Jr., praised Carter for signing legislation that established the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Reflecting on his civil rights legacy, she told CNN that the former president “was always very sensitive to marginalized communities and always championed issues economically and socially.”

“He is not given the honor that he’s due … sometimes, unfortunately, when people pass away, we really realize the void that they left and realize what they really gave to our nation,” said Bernice King.

King’s brother, Martin Luther King III, echoed those sentiments in a statement honoring Jimmy Carter as a “trailblazer” and “fighter who punched above his weight.”

“While history may have been hard on President Carter at times, today, he is remembered as a global human rights leader,” said King III, who shared that the King family over the years found “wise counsel and strong leadership” in the former president.

“Even after he left office, he carried on the legacies that my family has long championed, the eradication of the triple evils – poverty, racism, and violence,” added King III.  “We will truly miss President Carter, but we know that he would not want us to be saddened by his death, but proud of the work we’ve accomplished together and resolved to continue the work he started for the generations that come after us.”