Sunday Talks: Tea with Eleanor Roosevelt, a talk by Roosevelt Campobello International Park staff (1)

All are invited to hear about the incredible life and social activism of Eleanor Roosevelt, the country’s longest-serving First Lady, while sipping her favorite tea, at a special event, Sunday, September 8 at 2 pm, at Eastport Arts Center.

For years, “Tea with Eleanor” has been the most popular program presented at Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The park educational staff will bring this free program to Eastport for a one-time-only performance.

“It’s a transformational journey that Eleanor goes on from the time she was a young adult through her marriage, through polio, through his recovery from polio, and then through building her own personal power and agency,” said Bruce Thomson, the park’s manager of visitor services. “It’s a remarkable story to hear.”

The talk will focus on the time Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent on Campobello Island at their cottage. It will also cover the extraordinary partnership the couple developed that played a key role in his successful presidency, helping shape FDR’s cabinet and New Deal policies.

Eleanor blossomed even more after her husband’s death and held a key role in the formation of the United Nations, embracing the cause of world peace and human and civil rights. She was also a prolific author who wrote hundreds of articles and essays and 28 books, including four memoirs.

“She just had an incredible influence up until her death in 1962,” Thomson said, noting that Eleanor Roosevelt was certainly one of the most beloved women of her generation.

The talk is part of a series of Sunday talks that will be offered with free admission at Eastport Arts Center through October. Donations will be gratefully accepted, and will be used to help sustain programs like these.