Ethel Kennedy's legacy: Human rights champion passes at 96
Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy and fervent human rights advocate, passed away on Wednesday, October 9. According to a Kennedy family member, the wife of the brother of the former U.S. President had a stroke in her sleep. She was 96 years old.
Ethel Kennedy was an American social activist and the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, the younger brother of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. She was born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, and came from a wealthy business family.
In 1950, she married Robert F. Kennedy, an ambitious lawyer who later became the Attorney General of the United States. Their marriage was notable for its large family size—Ethel and Robert had eleven children—and their active participation in the country's political life.
Ethel Kennedy played a significant role in her husband's political campaigns. After Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968, Ethel continued his legacy by engaging in philanthropic and social endeavours. She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, an organization dedicated to promoting human rights and social justice, becoming a symbol of the quest for equality and civil rights.
Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, has passed away
Throughout her life, Ethel Kennedy was actively involved in numerous charitable initiatives, earning respect as a person who dedicated her life to helping others.
Her social work and resilience in facing family tragedies earned her recognition in the United States and worldwide. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Ethel the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her long-time commitment to human rights, the highest civilian honour in the U.S.
Ethel Kennedy was the mother of eleven children. Her eldest son Robert, along with his sister Kathleen Hartington and brother Joseph Patrick II, was politically active. In 2023, Robert announced his intention to run for the U.S. presidency. In April, he declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination.
Over a year later, on August 23, 2024, his polls showed he had 5% nationwide support. He then withdrew from the presidential race and openly endorsed Donald Trump.
