Carolyn Goodman (psychologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carolyn Goodman
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Goodman in 2005
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| Born |
Carolyn Elizabeth Drucker
October 6, 1915 |
| Died | August 17, 2007 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater | Cornell University City University of New York Teachers College, Columbia University (EdD) |
| Children | Andrew Goodman |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Clinical psychology, civil rights activism |
| Institutions | Andrew Goodman Foundation |
| Thesis | A study of psychological factors in different fertility and family planning types (1968) |
| Doctoral advisor | Arleen Otto |
| Other academic advisors | Morton Deutsch |
Carolyn Elizabeth Goodman (born Drucker; October 6, 1915 – August 17, 2007) was an American psychologist. She became a strong supporter of civil rights after a very sad event. In 1964, her son, Andrew Goodman, and two other civil rights workers, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, were killed. This happened in Neshoba County, Mississippi, by a group called the Ku Klux Klan.
Carolyn Goodman stayed active in her fight for justice until she was 90 years old. Many people heard about her again in 2005. She traveled to Philadelphia, Mississippi, to speak at the trial of Edgar Ray Killen. He was a former Klan leader accused in the case. On June 21, 2005, exactly 41 years after the killings, a jury found Killen guilty of manslaughter. This meant he was responsible for the deaths of Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner.
Contents
Her Early Life and Learning
Carolyn Goodman was born in Woodmere, New York. She earned her first degree from Cornell University in 1936. Later, she got a master's degree in clinical psychology from the City University of New York in 1953. She then completed a doctorate degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1968.
Fighting for Change
After marrying Robert W. Goodman in the late 1930s, their home became a welcoming place. It was a spot where artists and thinkers who wanted social change could gather. In the 1950s, the Goodmans were very involved in fighting against McCarthyism. This was a time when people were unfairly accused of being disloyal to the country.
In 1964, their son Andrew was a student at Queens College. He told his parents he planned to go to Mississippi to help with civil rights. Carolyn Goodman later said it was hard to let him go. But she believed strongly in what he was doing. She felt she had to support him.
The Tragic Murders of 1964
In 1967, a jury in Meridian, Mississippi, found seven members of the Ku Klux Klan guilty. They were found guilty of planning the deaths of the three civil rights workers. None of them spent more than six years in prison.
In January 2005, Edgar Ray Killen was arrested. He had been released in 1967 because a jury couldn't agree on his guilt. This time, the State of Mississippi charged him with murder. At his trial, Carolyn Goodman read a postcard her son wrote. It was dated June 21, 1964, the last day of his life:
"Dear Mom and Dad," it read, "I have arrived safely in Meridian, Miss. This is a wonderful town, and the weather is fine. I wish you were here. The people in this city are wonderful, and our reception was very good. All my love, Andy."
Carolyn Goodman once said in an interview in 1965:
I still feel that I would let Andy go to Mississippi again ... [E]ven after this terrible thing happened to Andy, I couldn't make a turnabout of everything I believe in.
This showed her strong belief in civil rights, even after her son's death.
Continuing the Fight: The Andrew Goodman Foundation
In 1966, Carolyn and her husband Robert started the Andrew Goodman Foundation. This group supports many social causes. After Carolyn passed away in August 2007, Andrew's younger brother, David Goodman, and his wife, Sylvia, continued the Foundation's work.
On the 50th anniversary of Andrew's death, the foundation started a program called Vote Everywhere. This is a national program that helps student leaders and universities. It encourages young people to get involved in their communities. The program aims to help students register to vote and work on other social justice issues on college campuses. It carries on Andrew Goodman's mission.
Her Later Life
Carolyn Goodman's husband, Robert, passed away in 1969. He was 54 years old. She married her second husband, Joseph Eisner, in 1972. He died in 1992.
Carolyn Goodman died in Manhattan at the age of 91. She passed away from natural causes. Her sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were with her. A memorial service was held for her on October 7, 2007.
Books by Carolyn Goodman
- My Mantelpiece: A Memoir of Survival and Social Justice by Carolyn Goodman (with Brad Herzog), Why Not Books; ISBN: 978-0-98499-194-5.
