Remembering Jimmy Carter: A Local Activist, and Nonprofit, Honor Former President and Magnanimous Being

Omaha community advocate Preston Love Jr. met President Jimmy Carter during the 1970s while he was in office. To learn more about Love and his advocacy in Omaha, click here: https://www.omahamagazine.com/uncategorized/preston-love-jr-isnt-through-yet/

The following is what Love thought about while remembering Carter.

Jimmy Carter: A Black Perspective

by Preston Love Jr.

In 1968, Republican Richard Nixon was elected as the U.S. President. During the 1960s, nearly a decade of major Civil Rights gains and legislation occurred, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Also in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. MLK death sent the Civil Rights Movement into a tailspin and sent his close and trusted advisers all asunder. Nixon was reelected in 1972 but forced to resign in 1974.

In April 1972, Black leadership had a historic, and major, National Black Political Conference, in Gary, Indiana, hosted by groundbreaking Black Mayor Richard Hatcher. Out of that conference came a series of major elements: a manifesto called the Gary Declaration, which was a strong commitment from most of the major national political leaders that the time was now for action. At that juncture in history, there was a resolve to activate the Black political power throughout the country. That convention should be noted as a major event in the history of Black politics in America. Also, in 1972, when Nixon was re-elected, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (New York - D) became the first Black person in modern times to run for president. Also, South Dakota Sen. George McGovern ran for the presidency. [A sidebar: The governor of Georgia was Carter and a close adviser to MLK, Andrew Young, was left without a mission or direction.] A little-known fact, and not recorded historically is the perspective that you have a liberal Democrat running for president, and a Black woman as well. This presented a potentially troubling dynamic for the Democratic Party, not knowing the direction Black voters might take. The possibility was that the Black vote could be split, between McGovern and Chisholm, to the detriment of the Democrats in the 1972 presidential race. It should be mentioned that Atlanta was the hub of the Civil Rights Movement, and it was populated by Martin Luther King Sr., (Martin Luther King Jr.’s father), and the directionless Young. Young decided to run for Congress. This all happened in 1972. A little-known fact is that King Sr. appealed to candidate McGovern to support the candidacy of Young, running for congress out of Georgia, and in return he promised to galvanize much of the Black vote for McGovern, as opposed to Shirley Chisholm. That deal was agreed to. Shirley Chisholm’s presidential aspirations were not successful, but Young was elected to congress, and George McGovern was defeated by the reelected Nixon. Carter was very close to the Black community in Georgia, and was the governor.

In 1974, Nixon resigned from the presidency and Gerald Ford became the president. Young was reelected in 1974 and 1976.

In 1976, Carter ran for, and was elected president. Some felt that was a result of America’s reaction to the corruptness of the Republican Administration of Nixon. It also should be noted that in 1976, Black people voted heavily throughout the nation, for Carter at an estimated 90%. It thought that it was the highest Black vote up to that point. It should also be noted that it was partly a residual of the 1972 Black Political Convention in Gary. After being elected president, Carter called on Young to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

A series of unfortunate historical events, including the firing of Young, and an American hostage situation, where a group of Americans were held hostage by Iran, and a failed attempt to rescue them, all continued to weaken Carter’s presidency and his reelection in 1980 against presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. I entered the Atlanta political scene. He had moved to Atlanta and worked on what then became the successful campaign for Young to become Mayor of Atlanta. I was a major participant in his campaign and was one of the three people who he appointed to run a city department when he was elected in 1980, as the Mayor. Carter was defeated and returned to his home in Georgia to build his presidential library in Plains, Georgia. The loss of favor of Carter leading up to the election could not be overcome by the strong Black voter support behind him. As a matter of fact, Young’s race for mayor was negatively impacted by his support of Carter’s presidential library, which was very controversial in the Atlanta area, and nearly cost Young his victory for mayor.

By 1983, the continued impact of the 1972 Black Political Summit was manifested in the gigantic, and historic victory of Harold Washington, as the first Black Mayor of Chicago. I went to Washington through Young and played a significant role in his administration. The political impact of Mr. Washington’s victory was enormous. That victory was followed by another historical political and leadership meeting, again hosted by Mayor Richard Hatcher. The agenda of the meeting of these Black political leaders was that if Blacks could win Chicago, then it was possible for Blacks to have a successful run for president. It was unanimous that it could and should happen, but none of the major Black political leaders held up their hands. Just a few could have: Dave Dinkins of New York, former Mayor of Atlanta Maynard Jackson, Mayor Coleman Young of Detroit, Richard Hatcher, and Young, to name just a few. No one raised their hand.

After the Black leadership meeting in 1983, Rev. Jesse Jackson decided to test the waters, and I became a part of this. Because of Jackson’s relationship with Young, my presence in his administration and my newly-found political reputation, Jackson asked me to take a leave of absence from Young, and work with Jackson during his exploratory journey, to decide whether or not he should run for president. I accepted Jackson’s offer.

In 1983, during the exploratory phase of the potential presidential quest of Jackson, I, at that point, was Jackson’s only staff member. Late in the summer of 1983, while Jackson and I traveled the southern sector, registering Black voters and urging them to vote, they visited, at Rev. Jackson's request, Carter at his home in Plains, Georgia. I remembered so well what gracious hosts Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, were. His insightful, historic, perspective of the presidency, and his advice to Rev. Jackson was greatly appreciated.

While Carter encouraged Jackson to pursue a run for president, he was very clear, and forthright, about the pitfalls and the realities of doing such. I felt, after meeting with Carter in that situation, a tremendous regard and respect for the man. They had a short, but exciting, tour of the complex, and a quick course in farming peanuts. I mourn the fact that Carter, to this date, has not received his due as president, his post-presidential accomplishments, and his interaction and relationships throughout his political career with the Black community.

Photo by Habitat for Humanity international.

Habitat for Humanity was one of Carter's most notable humanitarian projects, and the local affiliate is honoring the former president with doorways that people can write on and the ability to leave tributary notes to him. The local Habitat offices plan to photograph the exhibits and share the images and copies of the notes with The Carter Center in Atlanta.

The displays are available to the public Jan. 9 through Jan. 11. In Omaha, people can view and sign these from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the Council Bluffs exhibit is available from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The locations are: