When Lizzie McDuffie, maid to Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, boldly proclaimed herself FDR's "Secretary-On-Colored-People's-Affairs," she became more than just a maid, she became the President's eyes and ears into the Black community. After joining the White House to work alongside her husband, FDR's personal valet, Lizzie managed to become completely indispensable to the Roosevelt family. Never shy about pointing out injustices, she advocated for the needs and rights of her fellow African Americans when those in the White House blocked access to the President.
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