Court Painter looks back to what was on the reading list for those hazy lazy days of summer 2017.
original post August 6/2017
Court Painter modestly suggests the best 2025 summer reading at this time for America may be a re-read of :
Written in 1940
A wartime manifesto on the moral obligations of democratic citizens from the most influential first lady in American history.
With the threat of the Third Reich looming, Eleanor Roosevelt employs the history of human rights to establish the idea that at the core of democracy is a spiritual responsibility to other citizens. Roosevelt then calls on all Americans, especially the youth, to prioritize the well-being of others and have faith that their fellow citizens will protect them in return. She defines this trust between people as a trait of true democracy.
Roosevelt advances an optimistic model for the democracy of the future, and although we’ve taken some steps in the direction of her vision, it’s still a long way from reality. The issues first addressed in this 1940 essay—namely financial inequality and racial discrimination—are sadly still relevant today, as bigotry continues to undermine our national unity.