Former President Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, is celebrating his life and legacy following his passing. Signs expressing gratitude and admiration adorn the town, with messages like “Thank you,” “Home of Jimmy Carter,” and “Happy 100th birthday.”
Residents of the small town, with a population of fewer than 600, went about their day despite the presence of TV news trucks. Many locals had personal anecdotes about Carter, whom they affectionately referred to as a neighbor and a “regular guy” who accomplished extraordinary feats.
Haley Beverly, 29, and her daughter Rosemary, two, were seen picking up their mail near the Methodist church where Carter and his wife Rosalynn were married. Beverly shared, “To see a family built like that, in a pressure cooker like the presidency, was a big inspiration for us.”
Mayor Joseph “Joey” Recker Jr., Carter’s “backdoor neighbor,” reminisced about his children playing on the Carters’ land.
Jimmy Carter’s hometown honors legacy
He spoke warmly of Carter’s honesty, noting, “Whether as President Carter or Jimmy Carter, he lived what he believed. What you see is what you get.”
Lifelong resident Milton Mills, who worked on the Carter family’s peanut farm as a young man, remembered Carter’s efforts to support Black Americans, though he acknowledged the ongoing challenges of making change. Bonita Hightower, owner of the only Black-owned business in the center of Plains, reflected on Carter’s impact, saying, “He left a happy path for anyone who wants to do anything great.
He did it, and came back to rest – and that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Three elderly Black women from Lafayette, Alabama, traveled to Plains in Carter’s honor. Barbara King, 84, expressed admiration for Carter’s stance on racial issues, while Sara Calloway, 77, shared her emotional connection to the former president, saying, “He was just a plain old white man who wanted to do good – nothing fancy about him.”
Jimmy Carter’s legacy and the heartfelt stories from his neighbors highlight the profound impact he had, not only on a national and international scale but also within his small hometown of Plains, Georgia.
