Community Corner
FDR's Granddaughter Tells the Story of His Statue
Patrick Hughes and his mother, Brigid Hughes, explore issues people with disabilities have in navigating the world. Today, they discussed the FDR Memorial with his granddaughter. Did you know the original memorial didn't show his disability?
This week we discussed the FDR Memorial with Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, one of FDR’s grandchildren. Anna has been associated with the Roosevelt Institute for over 30 years and is currently the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. At Goodwill, she works on inclusion and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The FDR Memorial in Washington DC was originally commissioned without any image of disability. The disability community felt that the memorial was not complete without this image, and members of the disability community, along with Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and her cousins, advocated for an additional statue to be placed at the entrance of the memorial. The statue, which depicts FDR in a wheelchair, is the most accessible and most photographed statue in the memorial.
A special thanks to Anne for this conversation – it was quite a treat. Please go visit the memorial in Washington DC. www.pepsiwithbrigid.com
