Final answer:
Eleanor Roosevelt overcame numerous obstacles including societal discrimination, gendered attacks by journalists, and political constraints within her husband's presidency. She championed civil rights, setting up pivotal meetings and advocating for legislation, and faced personal trials within her marriage while maintaining a professional partnership with FDR.
Step-by-step explanation:
Challenges Faced by Eleanor Roosevelt
As the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt faced significant obstacles in her advocacy for civil rights and social justice. Despite being part of a social and economic class that typically held conservative views on race and gender, Eleanor boldly defied these norms to become a foremost advocate for change. Among the many challenges she faced was the prevalent societal discrimination during her time. For example, during a 1938 meeting, when faced with the segregationist actions of Bull Connor, she notably moved her chair to sit in the aisle, challenging the segregation directly. Additionally, she was subject to daily maligning by journalists who attacked her character and integrity, often in a gendered context.
Eleanor's commitment to civil rights often put her at odds with her husband's political strategy. She openly supported many civil rights causes, such as the anti-lynching bill and acted as an intermediary between FDR and civil rights leaders, setting up critical meetings. Despite her husband's private support of these causes, his position as president needed to maintain political support, which sometimes meant he could not endorse controversial legislation. Eleanor was pivotal in arranging for NAACP president Walter White to meet her husband, which exemplified her dedication towards civil rights advocacy.
Her commitment was further exemplified when she resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution after they refused to let African American opera singer Marian Anderson perform at Constitution Hall. Eleanor facilitated Anderson's historic concert on the Lincoln Memorial steps, followed by an invitation to a state dinner at the White House. Her initiatives helped to establish the Office of the First Lady, which included a press secretary, thus enhancing the visibility and influence of her position.
Eleanor Roosevelt also worked to uplift various demographics through initiatives like the Arthurdale community for displaced coal miners and was a relentless campaigner for her husband, even after personal challenges such as Franklin’s affair with her social secretary. Eleanor's activism created opportunities for women in journalism by allowing only female reporters at her press conferences, and she was instrumental in pushing for civil rights legislation, even when FDR could not publicly support it due to political restraints.