For nearly 50 years, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center non-profit organization has worked to honor the legacy of its namesake through programs dedicated to social justice and human rights. Since the pandemic, the Center has concentrated its work in igniting civic leadership, focusing on three key pillars: human rights, voters’ rights, and intellectual freedom.

According to the Center’s website, intellectual freedom was fundamental to Eleanor Roosevelt’s ethos, noting, “During her life, she fought passionately for literacy, the role of libraries in a democracy, and the universal right to intellectual freedom. Today, she would be at the forefront of the fight against alarming rise of book banning in the United States.” With an eye on intellectual freedom, the Center introduced its inaugural Banned Book Awards in February 2024. The Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Bravery in Literature honors living authors and the books that advance human rights in the face of censorship. The 2024 honorees included: Judy Blume (Lifetime Achievement), Laurie Halse Anderson, Mike Curato, Alex Gino, George M. Johnson, Maia Kobabe, and Jelani Memory.

Nominations for the Center’s 2025 awards are open through September 30, 2024. Librarians, library staff, and teachers are encouraged to submit nominations for the authors and individuals who exemplify the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt and a commitment to the right to read.