The Clintons to Talk 'What's Working' at Annual CGI Meeting
Plus, learn about the 'Other First Ladies' in new podcast episode and 'Leaders in Literacy' is the focus of National First Ladies Library & Museum evening event.
The Clintons Will Focus on ‘What’s Working’ at September’s Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Dr. Chelsea Clinton have announced the program for the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting, taking place in New York City, Sept. 23-24. CGI 2024 is focused on “What’s Working,” accelerating solutions that are working now, and emphasizing the responsibility citizens have to take action. On this theme, the featured participants announced last week are leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who have demonstrated success in advancing solutions to the greatest global challenges.
In 2005, President Clinton launched CGI with the goal of harnessing the power of individuals, corporations, and governments to take action. For the first time at a conference of this kind, hundreds of leaders from various sectors came together to not only discuss pressing issues facing the world but also to develop Commitments to Action, which are new, specific, and measurable solutions. Nearly 20 years later, CGI has grown into a year-round program that drives collaboration and action. CGI has facilitated more than 4,000 Commitments to Action, mobilizing billions of dollars in resources and making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in over 180 countries, according to a press release.
“The CGI community has shown that we all have the potential to make a difference on the biggest global challenges—if we cooperate and work with a commitment to action,” said President Clinton in a news release. “At CGI 2024 we’ll be recognizing ‘What’s Working,’ and looking at the most promising solutions to these challenges, the best ways to bring these ideas to scale, and the speed with which we can get them to work.”
Leaders expected to attend include: José Andrés, Founder and Chief Feeding Officer, World Central Kitchen; Jane Goodall, Primatologist and Anthropologist, Jane Goodall Institute; Shonda Rhimes, Founder, Shondaland. A full list of leaders attending can be viewed here.
Catch Up on the Latest ‘The First Ladies Podcast’ - Episode 10: ‘The Other First Ladies’
From Thomas Jefferson’s daughter to James Buchanan’s niece to Grover Cleveland’s sister, other women have stepped into the first lady role and, unfortunately, been mostly forgotten. Host Teri Finneman interviews Author Mary Stockwell who gives these women their rightful place in history. Listen here
Calendar
July 18, 2024
In-Person Event: Third Thursdays Night Out with the First Ladies
The National First Ladies Library & Museum will dive into what Abigail Fillmore, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Laura Bush all have in common—the fact they were all teachers. Participants will get an inside look into the newly opened 2024-25 featured exhibit, “Leaders in Literacy: First Ladies as Teachers, Educators, and Librarians” at its Third Thursdays Night Out with the First Ladies. For July Third Thursday, the evening will include a discussion about the educational efforts and occupations of Caroline Harrison and Helen Taft. Read more
July 18, 2024
Virtual: Ladies, First: Common Threads Talk
The Center for Knit and Crochet presents Debra Scala Giokas, author of Ladies, First: Common Threads on July 18, 2024, at 8 p.m. EDT. Ladies, First celebrates 18 First Ladies who, at one point in their lives, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, quilted, cross-stitched, or sewed. Their inspirational stories will encourage an appreciation of craft and creativity, patience and perseverance, sacrifice and service, and most of all the role of the first lady in the United States of America. For ages 9 and up. Read more
July 20, 2024
In-Person Fun with FLOTUS: Fly High with Dolley Madison (Free Family Event)
Ever wondered what it would be like to chat with a parrot, like First Lady Dolley Madison did during her White House days? The National First Ladies Library & Museum will host an up close animal encounter with live parrots, just like Dolley's feathered friend. Participants will dive into the colorful world of parrots with an entertaining book reading followed by a toe-tapping, mini-dance party. A Dolley Madison interpreter will transport participants back in time with tales of this first lady’s extraordinary life. Read more
Aug. 6, 2024
BOOK RELEASE: A New, Revolutionary Look into the Brilliant Life of Pat Nixon
The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady by Heath Hardage Lee goes on sale Aug. 6, 2024. In America’s collective consciousness, Pat Nixon has long been perceived as enigmatic. She was voted “Most Admired Woman in the World” in 1972 and made Gallup Poll’s top ten list of most admired women fourteen times. She survived the turmoil of the Watergate scandal with her popularity and dignity intact. The real Pat Nixon, however, bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Pat married Richard Nixon in June of 1940. As the couple rose to prominence, Pat became Second Lady from 1953-1961 and then First Lady from 1969-1974, forging her own graceful path between the protocols of the strait-laced mid-century and the bra-burning Sixties and Seventies. Read more
Aug. 6, 2024
Heath Hardage Lee Launches New Pat Nixon Biography: ‘The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady’
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, will host Heath Hardage Lee, the author of a new Pat Nixon Biography: The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady at 7 p.m. (PT) on Aug. 6, 2024. Lee will discuss the life and times of this remarkable first lady: an empathetic, adventurous, self-made woman who wanted no power or influence, but who connected warmly with both ordinary Americans and people from different cultures she encountered world-wide. The event is free. Read more
Aug. 11, 2024
First Ladies Fine Dining: Contemporaries 21st Century
Author and lecturer Andrew Och aka “The First Ladies Man” will present a hands-on cooking experience on Aug. 11, 2024, for Cookology at Ballston Quarter in Arlington, Virginia, with a focus on First Ladies Dr. Jill Biden, Melania Trump, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.
The role of First Lady has certainly changed and developed over the years. No one knows this more than the most recent first ladies of the 20th and 21st Centuries. However, one thing has remained constant…entertaining. The success of a State Dinner or any number of other celebrations or events could be the difference in passing an important bill or keeping a diplomatic relationship in good standing. These first ladies do so much more than entertain or serve a meal when they host these events. Enjoy a modern day history lesson over a beautiful meal made up of modern day first lady favorites. Read more
Aug. 15, 2024
In-Person Third Thursday Night Out with the First Ladies
The National First Ladies Library & Museum for the August Third Thursday, will discuss “going back to school” with a deep dive into the world of one room schoolhouses—the main stage where First Ladies like Abigail Fillmore and Lucretia Garfield got their start. Attendees will enjoy the museum after hours as expert staff highlight the legacies of First Ladies Roosevelt, Fillmore, and Garfield and early education in America. Read more
Aug. 17, 2024
FREE Book Giveaway with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Honors Rosalynn Carter
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, will host a special event on Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EDT) commemorating Mrs. Carter’s birthday with the partnership of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). RIF will be onsite to give out FREE books to kids.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is celebrating nearly 60 years of inspiring the joy of reading for children. This legacy of impact has inspired a group of unprecedented literacy champions since our founding in 1966. Join the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum to celebrate the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter, a steadfast champion for children’s literacy. RSVPs are strongly encouraged. Please complete this form to RSVP by Aug. 10.
Aug. 17, 2024
First Ladies and Their Legacies with Andrew Och
Author Andrew Och, aka “The First Ladies Man,” will present "First Ladies and Their Legacies" with Andrew Och at the Maranatha Baptist Church "Coffee & Conversations Inspired by Rosalynn Carter" at the 3rd Annual Butterfly Daze Festival in Plains, Georgia. Read more
Aug. 17, 2024
In-Person Fun with FLOTUS: A Sensory Voyage Through Grace Coolidge's Legacy
The National First Ladies Library presents “FLOTUS: A Sensory Voyage Through Grace Coolidge’s Legacy” for children ages 6 to10. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to noon EDT and includes sensory stations that tells the story of the former first lady’s impact. Read more
Monday, Aug. 19
Virtual First Ladies on the Page Book Discussion: White Houses by Amy Bloom
Join the National First Ladies Library & Museum from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 19, for a discussion of author Amy Bloom’s White Houses. In this historical fiction, Amy Bloom aptly explores the friendship and romance between Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt. The discussion meets live on Zoom. This interactive program will not be recorded. Zoom info, questions, and pertinent links will be sent out to participants before the meeting. Read more
Submit calendar items, announcements and press releases to East Wing Magazine at jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.