The youngest child of former President Jimmy Carter, Amy Carter, made a rare public appearance at her father’s funeral, drawing attention to her life and legacy. Amy, now 56, was seen outside Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral alongside other members of the Carter family.
Earlier in the week, she attended a ceremony at the Capitol, where her father’s casket lay in state. Though she has kept a low profile for decades, Amy shared a unique bond with her father. They even collaborated on a children’s book, The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer, showcasing Carter’s storytelling and her illustrations.
Amy Carter had a fascinating childhood
Amy Carter was not your typical daughter. As a child, she captured headlines with her antics in the White House. She famously roller-skated through its historic halls, often joined by friends, and once carved her initials into a window sill, a memory she later revealed might have included her brothers.
Her mischief was not limited to the White House and extended to state dinners, where she was often seen reading books instead of mingling. During a Camp David peace talks, she once hit Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin with a golf cart while playing with a friend.
Amy Carter was arrested three times
As she grew older, Amy’s rebellious spirit turned into activism. In her freshman year at college, she made a bold statement by presenting a massive symbolic “foot” to Congress, representing a campaign to end hunger. In 1985, Amy was arrested for the first time on the steps of the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C., protesting apartheid.
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She got picked again in the following year at Brown University while protesting IBM’s business dealings with South Africa. Her third arrest came later that year at the University of Massachusetts, where she opposed CIA recruitment on campus alongside many others, like activist Abbie Hoffman.