Eunice Shriver: Special Olympics 1970-1990
By Anne Nixon and Kay Horsch
()
About this ebook
Olympic Games took on a very unique meaning in 1968. That was the year that Special Olympics — an organization for the benefit of children and adults with intellectual disabilities1– was founded. Today, the impact of Special Olympics is global, and more than 3.5 million athletes of all ages train and compete in over 170 countries.
Special Olympics began with the vision of one woman — Eunice Kennedy Shriver, or EKS, as she is known to those in the Special Olympics organization. Her daughter, Maria, called her a “fearless warrior for the voiceless.” Her father, Joseph P. Kennedy, thought she would have been a great politician if only she had been a boy.
Three of Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s brothers were elected to the U.S. Senate and one of them, John F. Kennedy, was the much beloved 35th President of the United States. Like her brothers, EKS had political skills and leadership qualities, but her path did not lead to elective office. She chose to exercise her strength in service to a neglected population — those with intellectual disabilities. She often referred to them as her “special friends.”
Read more from Anne Nixon
William Edwin Hall: Boys and Girls Clubs, 1935-1950 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe National Urban League, 100 Years of Empowering Communities: Ruth Standish Baldwin and George Edmund Haynes, 1950-1980 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Eunice Shriver
Related ebooks
Clifford Beers: Mental Health America, 1908-1935 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFailing Liberty 101: How We Are Leaving Young Americans Unprepared for Citizenship in a Free Society Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPhilanthropy in Democratic Societies: History, Institutions, Values Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Educating for Action: Strategies to Ignite Social Justice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Politics of Non-state Social Welfare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUncertain Times: Anthropological Approaches to Labor in a Neoliberal World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuilding the Beloved Community: Philadelphia’s Interracial Civil Rights Organizations and Race Relations, 1930–1970 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeeing Others: How Recognition Works—and How It Can Heal a Divided World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Local Democracy Under Siege: Activism, Public Interests, and Private Politics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFamilies in Distress: Public, Private, and Civic Responses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Size of Others' Burdens: Barack Obama, Jane Addams, and the Politics of Helping Others Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Achievements in Activism: Celebrating Leonidas H. Berry, Marley Dias, and More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Welfare Experiments: Politics and Policy Evaluation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrganize!: Building from the Local for Global Justice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsContesting Publics: Feminism, Activism, Ethnography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPassionaries: Turning Compassion Into Action Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seeds of Change: The Story of ACORN, America's Most Controversial Antipoverty Community Organizing Group Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeople Power: The Community Organizing Tradition of Saul Alinsky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Jim Crow Study Guide and Call to Action Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Class, Race, and Gender: Challenging the Injuries and Divisions of Capitalism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWe Have a Choice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSharing the Journey: Support Groups and the Quest for a New Community Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen's Guide to Transformational Advocacy, 2024 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHuman Rights in Our Own Backyard: Injustice and Resistance in the United States Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Activist's Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpiritual Community: The Power to Restore Hope, Commitment and Joy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Managed Integration: Dilemmas of Doing Good in the City Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Sports & Recreation For You
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning: A Trainer's Guide to Building Strength and Stamina Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Guide to Improvised Weaponry: How to Protect Yourself with WHATEVER You've Got Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate BodyWeight Workout: Transform Your Body Using Your Own Body Weight Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Rugby For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just Tyrus: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for ANY Disaster Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zen in the Art of Archery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5MOX Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Pickleball: Techniques and Strategies for Everyone Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fishing for Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Pocket Guide to Essential Knots: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Most Important Knots for Everyone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Field Guide to Knots: How to Identify, Tie, and Untie Over 80 Essential Knots for Outdoor Pursuits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBody by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Baseball 100 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHard Knocks: An enemies-to-lovers romance to make you smile Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Eunice Shriver
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Eunice Shriver - Anne Nixon
Shriver
Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Special Olympics
The New Olympic Athletes
Love is Action
Mother Teresa.
Ancient Greek vases depict Olympic Games that were held in Athens many centuries ago. They show muscular young men running and wrestling, with olive wreaths gracing their brows. In modern times, millions watch the Olympics on television and see youthful competitors parading in national costumes in international amphitheatres, all eager to compete with other young athletes for treasured medals.
Olympic Games took on a very unique meaning in 1968. That was the year that Special Olympics — an organization for the benefit of children and adults with intellectual disabilities¹– was founded. Today, the impact of Special Olympics is global, and more than 3.5 million athletes of all ages train and compete in over 170 countries.
Special Olympics began with the vision of one woman — Eunice Kennedy Shriver, or EKS, as she is known to those in the Special Olympics organization. Her daughter, Maria, called her a fearless warrior for the voiceless.
Her father, Joseph P. Kennedy, thought she would have been a great politician if only she had been a boy.
Three of Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s brothers were elected to the U.S. Senate and one of them, John F. Kennedy, was the much beloved 35th President of the United States. Like her brothers, EKS had political skills and leadership qualities, but her path did not lead to elective office. She chose to exercise her strength in service to a neglected population — those with intellectual disabilities. She often referred to them as her special friends.
When Joseph P. Kennedy was appointed United States ambassador to England in 1938, he brought his family to live in the American Embassy in London, and the nine charming Kennedy youngsters were thrust into the public eye. The older children were presented to the British royal family and were part of an international group of wealthy and titled young people. But the Kennedys were more than socialites. They were destined for lives of public