Becca Anderson, author of Badass Women Give the Best Advice, has written a new blog post on Eleanor Roosevelt, a badass First Lady.
Eleanor was born Anne Eleanor Roosevelt and came from colonial stock on both sides of her family. Though born to the privileged class, she reached out to all women, regardless of economic status, and they responded, knowing she was a kindred soul. She preferred to do good works at settlement houses among the working class rather than party at snooty salons. Eleanor also snuck in an engagement to her fifth cousin, political aspirant Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They quickly had six children, and the burgeoning clan found themselves in the District of Columbia while FDR served as assistant secretary of the navy. It was there that Eleanor discovered his affair with Lucy Mercer, her social secretary. She was devastated, but found an inner resolve to withstand the pain and became even more dedicated to social change.
When FDR was elected president, Eleanor was less than thrilled with her status as First Lady. But she took on the job and made it her own. She held a press conference in 1933, a first for a First Lady, and regularly spoke with a corps of women reporters. While FDR had his first fireside chats, Eleanor had “My Day,” a newspaper column and radio show that she used as pulpit to address many social justice issues. After her husband’s death, she continued with her work, becoming a delegate to the United Nations and helping launch UNICEF. This strong humanitarian woman is still one of the most cherished figures in history.
Badass Women Give the Best Advice
Everything You Need to Know About Love and Life
Advice from girl bosses of all kinds: Women are, far and away, the Oral Sex. Women’s Studies scholar Becca Anderson has gathered the wisdom from a chorus of fabulous femmes for this one-of-a-kind advice book. From housewives to Hollywood starlets, from standup comedians to startup entrepreneurs, these badass women offer unvarnished and unabashed opinions and share their frank and forthright thinking on the wild world of relationships.