There has been an outpouring of love and tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, both locally and from around the world, after it was announced over the weekend he was now in hospice care.
The Carter Center in Atlanta, which opened its doors on this President’s Day for visitors to come and reflect on Carter’s life, has also set up “kudoboard” for those who want to leave messages of “peace and comfort.”
Social media has been awash in tributes and memories of the 98-year-old former Georgia senator and governor, as well as the 39th President of the United States.
Georgia’s Own Credit Union is honoring the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter today with a digital mural high atop the 100 Peachtree building in Downtown Atlanta.
The portraits – which are 450 feet in the air and the length of two basketball courts – were created by local artist Dane Jefferson as a tribute to President Carter’s life and career across escalating stages: Georgia, the United States and ultimately, the world.
Jefferson said in a statement: “I was thrilled when I got the call to create a mural honoring President Carter. He has had such a long and amazing career as a leader and a role model, so when I began working on this project, I really wanted to capture the different periods in his life as a public servant. That started with his younger years serving the people of Georgia, then as president serving the people of the United States, and then through his work with the Carter Center helping people throughout the world. I limited the color palette to three colors to make the image as impactful as possible, and used colors that are relatively close to red, white, and blue. I’m very happy with how it turned out, and seeing it in the skyline on the Georgia’s Own Credit Union sign is just incredible.”
And here are more tributes from social media:
At the Feb. 20 meeting of the Atlanta City Council, the body unanimously adopted legislation introduced by Councilman Michael Julian Bond praising Carter’s “selfless service to humanity.”
Bond said in a statement: “President Carter has touched the lives of so many and I feel eternally grateful to have known him and his family. With his tremendous impact on our state, our country, and the world, I was honored to introduce legislation that was unanimously supported by my colleagues today to recognize President Carter’s life and legacy as he has decided to seek hospice care at home. He is a humble man who truly reached historic heights. During his political career and long afterward, his impact has been absolutely profound. His post-presidency especially set the high mark for moral leadership in our country. Today’s legislation is a way to celebrate all of his accomplishments and to let him know that the City Council and the people of Atlanta love and respect him. I join with our community, the nation, and the world in hoping for peace and comfort for President Carter.”
Read it below.
This story has been updated with the correct name of the artist who created the Carter mural as well as a statement on the art.