She was a leading activist for the rights of women and African Americans

One of the major accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt is she was a leading activist for the rights of women and African Americans.

Eleanor Roosevelt spoke out strongly in support of the African-American civil rights movement. Despite criticism from conservative Southerners, Eleanor advocated for equal treatment of women and African Americans. She worked hard to get many women appointed to positions in government. She held press conferences for women only. When the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let popular African-American singer Marian Anderson perform in their Constitution Hall in 1936, the First Lady resigned from their organization. She defied convention by inviting hundreds of African-American visitors to the White House. She was one of the few voices in the White House who insisted on equal benefits for Americans of all races. Eleanor also worked tirelessly for women's rights. She encouraged her husband, among other things, to appoint more women to federal positions, assisted working women in obtaining better wages, and held numerous press conferences for female reporters only, at a time when women were barred from White House press conferences.

She would continue to be an advocate for people everywhere, pushing for change and never being afraid to take the lead.