New Standards For The First Lady

     

Over time, the standards for our country's First Lady have changed drastically! We can thank Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wonderful wife for taking a stand and changing the expectations of the First Lady. Today, the First Lady is expected to make an impact and help the country in new and positive ways. As we walk through the history of our First Ladies, we will discuss the differences of impacts made by our leading ladies of the past compared to now.
      

At the start the wives of presidents typically stood back and let their husbands do their job. That all changes when FDR became president and Eleanor Roosevelt became First Lady. She used her new found title as a platform to advocate that women try to develop lives, interest and talents that might take them beyond the traditional women's roles. Eleanor Roosevelt also supported government funded programs for artist and writers. Much like her husband Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to make it a point that citizens knew and understand the changes she was hoping to make for the country. In doing so she created a newspaper column to share information about her activities and communicate her positions on a wide range of social and political issues.
        

 Current day First Ladies have definitely followed in Eleanor Roosevelt's footsteps. For example when Barack Obama became President his wife Michelle Obama became First Lady. Michelle took this role and started implementing immediate changes. In 2010 she launched the "Let's Move" campaign, in hopes of bringing community leaders, educators, medical professionals, parents, and others nationwide effort to address the challenge of childhood obesity. In 2014 she launched the "Reach Higher Initiative" as an effort to inspire young people to take charge of their academic future.   
Eleanor Roosevelt not only changed the expectations of the First Lady but was also a role model for civil rights movements. Before Eleanor Roosevelt most women stood back and never really voiced their opinions. To this day many generations of women and people with racial conflicts have followed Eleanor's leadings and fought for what they believed in. Michelle Obama is just one of the many few. The expectations for the First Lady today have definitely been changed over the course of history. Instead of the Presidents wives standing back, citizens expect the First Lady to start a campaign or a movement to positively impact and change our country for the  better.
From Eleanor Roosevelt's empowering civil rights movements to Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign; even Melania Trump's cyberbullying campaign, and many other influential First Ladies, we can agree that these women are making an impact on our country and will continue to do so for future generations. FDR taking office and Eleanor taking the title as
First Lady truly changed and set the expectations for future First Ladies. These women and many others have changed the way women are viewed and are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in and make the changes they want.

Citations:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/michelleobama

http://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/eleanor-roosevelt

http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33