Interview with John Sherman Cooper, May 16, 1981

Partial Transcript: Senator Cooper, today we're going to talk something about civil rights. .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses his experiences with segregation as a young man in Somerset. Cooper also provides an overview of the history of civil rights in Kentucky. Cooper describes some landmark Supreme Court cases on civil rights during the 1880s and 1890s.

Keywords: 13th Amendment; 14th Amendment; Allowed; Appointed; Baptist Church; Black churches; Border state; Citizens; Civil rights cases; Declaration of Independence; Deserve; Different; Dissenting opinion; Eastern Kentucky; Entitled; Equal rights; Escape; Facilities; Famous; Feelings; Got along; Guarantees; John Marshall Harlan; Law-abiding; Legislation; No complete equality; Not a problem; Not denied; Not free; Not permitted; Passed; Patronizing; Persisted; Plessy v. Ferguson; Preaching; Public accommodations; Rare; Right to vote; Rights; Satisfied; Separate but equal; Slave owner; Supreme Court; The North; The South; U.S. Constitution; Vote; position

Subjects: African Americans; Berea College; Blacks; Childhood; Church; Civil War; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Coal mines and mining; Counties; Education; Episcopal Church; Equality; Free; History; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Kentucky. General Assembly; Men; Methodist Church; Ohio River; Politicians; Population; Pulaski County (Ky.); Schools; Segregation; Singing; Slavery; Somerset (Ky.); States; Voting; Work

Partial Transcript: I can recall, even in 1947 when I--I came to Washington. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper remembers the segregation he witnessed in Washington D.C. in the late 1940s. Cooper details a bill on the creation of southern Black universities during his first term in the Senate that he later opposed and eventually voted against.

Keywords: Agreed; Alben Barkley; Argument; Back row; Banned; Bills; Co-sponsor; Colleges; Compact; Constitutionality; Correct; Decision; Defeated; Different; Difficult; Dropped; Evasion; Filibuster; Front row; House; Introduced; Joined; Legislation; Less; Medical schools; Mistake; Nice; Northerners; Not open; Not passed; Opposed; Pass; Plessy v. Ferguson; Poll tax; Question; Reasonable; Regions; Remove; Republicans; Satisfy; Senate; Senate Judiciary Committee; Senators; Separate but equal; Southerners; Sponsor; Statute; Supreme Court; Talking; Technical schools; The North; The South; Unconstitutional; Voting rights; Wayne Morse; Withdraw

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Buses; Change; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Cost; Courts; Hotels; Law; Logic; Politicians; Restaurants; Segregation; Somerset (Ky.); Speech; States; Theaters; Time; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: The--uh--riots started in the South.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper describes some of the most important developments in civil rights during the 1950s, including important Supreme Court cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. Cooper considers Eisenhower's contributions to the civil rights movement.

Keywords: 14th Amendment; 15th Amendment; Accomplished; Act; Admit; Agreement; Appointment; Arrested; Attempt; Authorized; Beginning; Belief; Beyond; Bills; Black student; Branches of government; Bus; Chief justice; Citizens; Civil Rights Bill of 1957; Civil rights case; Conditions; Congress; Decision; Democrats; Denied; Deprived; Desegregation; Determine; Different; Dwight Eisenhower; Earl Warren; Elected; Eliminated; Enforcement; Everett Dirksen; Feelings; First bill; Fred Vinson; Harry Truman; Implementation; Implicit; Interested; Introduced; Lawsuit; Lower courts; Lynching bills; Members; Non-interference; Northerners; Open; Opinion; Ordered; Plessy v. Ferguson; Poll tax bills; Position; President; Process; Provision; Question; Recommendations; Record; Report; Republicans; Rights; Rosa Parks; Segregated school; Shocked; Simple; Southerners; Specific; Start; Statement; Stricken; Study; Summoned; Supreme Court; The South; U.S. Attorney General; U.S. Constitution; Unequal; Unfit; Unnecessary; Voting rights; White school

Subjects: Administration; African Americans; Armed Forces; Authority; Blacks; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Children; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Contempt of court; Education; Georgia; Hearings; Historians; Intervention; People; Politicians; Restaurants; Riots; Schools; Segregation; Staff; Students; Subpoena; Testify; Theatres; United States; United States Commission on Civil Rights; Voting; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: . . .The bill that--that Eisenhower asked for in 1956.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper details Eisenhower's civil rights bill in 1956, which eventually failed to pass. Cooper remembers the cloture procedure for this bill.

Keywords: Afraid; Bill; Citizens; Clinton Anderson; Co-sponsor; Colleague; Commission; Confederate; Considered; Criminal proceedings; Danger; Debate; Democrat; Difficulty; Effect; Effort; Entitled; Fact; Family; Fewer; Filibuster; Got along; Great-uncle; House; Important; Individuals; Influence; Introduced; Legislation; Members; No cloture; No vote; Not considered; Not right; Not stopped; Observed; Obstruct; Old-fashioned; Passed; Provision; Quick; Reduction; Refused; Rush; Same rules; Section; Senate; Senate Judiciary Committee; Senators; Similar; Situation; Small states; Southerners; Speaking; Start; Stop; The South; Thruston Morton; Tough; Union Army; Union side; Unsuccessful; Vote; Voting rights; Western Kentucky; Westerners; Wrong

Subjects: African Americans; Alaska; Blacks; Change; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Cloture; Counties; Farms; Hawaii; Kentucky; Law; Life; Men; New Mexico; Play; Politicians; Protection; Segregation; Slavery; Statehood (American politics); States; Time; Washington (D.C.); Work

Partial Transcript: In '57 when it was passed by the House and came to the Senate. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Keywords: Always; Beginning; Beliefs; Bill; Bypass; Called up; Civil Rights Act of 1957; Committee; Concern; Congressional record; Consistent; Contempt of court; Danger; Debate; District Court; Emanuel Celler; Enforced; Enter; Entitled; Federal court; House; Important; Introduced; Majority vote; Moved; No chance; Obey; Order; Passed; Position; Postponed; Ranking member; Republican leader; Retrospection; Rights; Rule; Same; Saved; Section; Senate; Senate Judiciary Committee; Senators; Supreme Court; U.S. Attorney General; Voting rights; Weakened; William Knowland; William McCulloch

Subjects: African Americans; Authority; Blacks; Change; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Discrimination; Jurisdiction; Motion; New York; Ohio; Politicians; Segregation; United States Commission on Civil Rights; Views; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: In the--the final analysis after the 1957 bill was passed, what--what was your feeling about it. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper analyzes the effects and impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Keywords: Advanced; Against; Amendment; Answer; Applied; Appointed; Ask; Attempt; Bill; Carried out; Charged; Citizens; Civil Rights Act of 1957; Civil Rights Act of 1960; Civil action; Compromise; Congress; Contempt of court; Continue; Contradictions; Convict; Decision; Demonstrated; Different; Difficulty; Distinction; Duty; Empowered; Entitled; Equal opportunity; Evident; Failed; Federal officials; File; Final decision; Fine; First bill; Forward; Injunction; Institute; Interpretation; Intimidate; J. Strom Thurmond; Jail time; Judge; Jury trial; Laws; Lawsuit; No filibuster; Not strong; Obey; Order; Passed; Penalty; Permit; President; Prevent; Private citizens; Provision; Qualified voters; Question; Reasoning; Recommendations; Refused; Reporting; Reports; Required; Retrospection; Rights; Senate; Senators; Southern states; Southerners; State officials; State requirements; Status; Strength; Strong; Supreme Court; Today; Tried; U.S. Attorney General; Unaware; Undeserving; Voting rights; Worked out; Worthwhile

Subjects: African Americans; Analysis; Authority; Blacks; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Crime; Example; Hearings; Investigations; Logic; Money; People; Politicians; Prevention; Segregation; Speech; Statements; States; Subpoena; United States Commission on Civil Rights; Voting; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: . . .Stronger bill--evoked a--a--uh--filibuster. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper explains how difficult it was to get a Civil Rights bill passed in 1957 due to the threat of a filibuster by Southern Senators.

Keywords: Advised; Afraid; Against; Civil Rights Act of 1957; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Constituents; Democrats; Emanuel Celler; Encroachment; Everett Dirksen; Feelings; Fight; Filibuster; Following; George Aiken; Hard; House; Hurt; In favor; Interference; Local control; Long; No bill; Norris Cotton; Only Republican; Opposed; Reason; Republicans; Senate; Senators; The South; West; William McCulloch; Wonderful

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Federal government; Friend; Good; Management; Men; New England; New Hampshire; Politicians; Respect; Segregation; States; States' rights (American politics); Views; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: What then--what--what is the next--next step in--in civil rights following the 1957 bill?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper reflects upon how the Civil Rights Act of 1960 was passed. Opposition to its provisions are explored.

Keywords: 15th Amendment; Adopted; Amended; Assurance; Attacked; Burned; Candidates; Cases; Charge; Civil Rights Act of 1960; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Colleges; Common practice; Congress; Continued; County; County clerk; Court order; Criminal code; Damage; Debate; Democrats; Denied; Desegregation; Destruction; Different; Dislike; Disobeyed; Done; Easy; Events; Few accomplishments; Fined; Force; Freedom marches (Civil rights); Generous; Groups; Individual; Integration; Intention; Interesting; Issue; Kind; Lawsuits; March; Martin Luther King Jr.; Movies; New bill; Newcomer; Obstructed; Opposition; Orders; Possession; Problems; Provisions; Public accommodation; Public facilities; Question; Republicans; Right to travel; Secure; Senate; Senators; Solved; Statement; Stores; Stronger; Supporters; The North; The South; Title III; Treatment; Trial; True; Urging; Used; Vote; Voting rights; Win

Subjects: African Americans; Arson; Best; Blacks; Boston (Mass.); Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Buildings; Business; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Courthouses; Courts; Explosives; Housing; Imprisonment; Kentucky; Money; Movies; New York (N.Y.); People; Politicians; Pressure; Reading; Restaurants; Riots; Schools; Segregation; Threats; United States; Voter registration; Washington (D.C.); Whites

Partial Transcript: . . .The other was the--the literacy test.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper illustrates the stringent and discriminatory practices of voting literacy tests.

Keywords: Adopted; Answers; Anti-civil rights; Apply; Beliefs; Charged; Congressman; Denied; Difficult; Disqualified; Effort; Examined; Fearful; Federal court; Felons; Fined; Habit; Hard; Local officials; Long; Not abolished; Not applied equally; Not disqualified; Obey; Passed; Precincts; President; Printed; Provision; Qualified; Questions; Records; Requirement; Richard Russell; Right to vote; Strict; Terrible; The South; Trial; Vice president; Vote; Voters

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Cabinet; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Discrimination; Education; Election officials; Georgia; Imprisonment; Knowledge; Law; Leader; Literacy tests (Election law); Money; Names; Observation; Papers; People; Politicians; Segregation; States; Stenographers; Views; Voter registration; Voting; Washington (D.C.); Whites; Writing

Partial Transcript: Was the issue introduced of--of a provision--uh--which would eliminate the literacy test for all who had a 6th grade education. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper explains why he voted against a bill in 1964 that called for a partial elimination of the literacy voting tests, with an exemption for people with a 6th grade education or higher. Cooper discusses the problematic aspects of this bill in terms of knowledge and education.

Keywords: 6th grade; Advanced; Against; Argument; Bill; Circuit judge; County judge; Debate; Decisions; Denied; Idea; Inadequate; Incentive; Jacob Javits; No education; Problematic; Proposed; Right to vote; Senate; Senators; Smarter; True

Subjects: African Americans; Agriculture; Blacks; Business; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Common sense; Discrimination; Education; Experience; Judgment; Learning; Literacy tests (Election law); Men; People; Politicians; Reasons; Segregation; Successful; Time; Voting; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Was the 1960 bill in your judgment--uh-considerably better than the previous one?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper compares the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Cooper considers why President Kennedy was unable to address civil rights issues as promised during his campaign.

Keywords: 1960 Republican National Convention; Accomplishments; Accountability; Amendment; Amendments; Answer; Assassination; Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuba, 1961; Before; Beliefs; Bills; Bobby Kennedy; Campaign promises; Civil Rights Act of 1960; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Co-author; Committee; Congress; Coverage; Crisis; Declaration of Independence; Delegate; Democrats; Difficult; Dislike; Dwight Eisenhower; Elected; Employment; Everett Dirksen; Federal aid; Few; First; Greater; Group; Guarantee; Implicit; Insisting; Integration; Introduced; Invasion of Cuba (1961); Issues; John F. Kennedy; Kentucky delegation; Lost; Met; Moving; Office; Opinion; Paid; Pass; Platforms; Problem; Promised; Public accommodations; Recession of 1960-1961; Record; Report; Republicans; Senate; Senators; Ships; Stronger; Supporter; Taken out; Talking; Tax cuts; The South; Today; Too early; Turned back; U.S. Attorney General; U.S. Constitution; Uncertain; Wait; Waiting; Wrangling

Subjects: African Americans; Airplanes; Barbourville (Ky.); Berlin (Germany); Best; Blacks; Brother; Building; Chicago (Ill.); Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Courthouses; Courts; Cuba; Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962; Death; Economics; Equality; History; Housing; International relations; Judgment; Kentucky; London (Ky.); Missiles; Mount Vernon (Ky.); Opportunity; Politicians; Power; Presidents; Public works; Race; Reasons; Recession; Religion; Russians; Schools; Soviet Union; Speech; Testify; Threat; Travel; United States; United States Commission on Civil Rights; Washington (D.C.); Whites

Partial Transcript: I introduced myself that year a bill. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper describes a Civil Rights bill he introduced in 1963, which was never passed. Cooper recalls the debates in the Senate over the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Johnson's role in pushing the act through is emphasized.

Keywords: Able; Adopted; Advised; Against; Agreement; Antagonism; Assassination; Belief; Bill; Boyhood; Broader; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Close friends; Colleagues; Commissions; Confer; Congress; Debate; Defeated; Democratic leader; Democrats; Determine; Different; Difficult; Disagreements; Down to Earth; Feeling; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Granted; Help; Hero; Homely; Ill; John F. Kennedy; Joint session; Larger; Leader; Left; Local officials; Lyndon Johnson; Majority party; Negotiations; No civil rights; No privy; Not considered; Obstacles; Organizations; Passage; Presented; President; Problems; Provisions; Questions; Rare; Richard Russell; Rights; Schoolhouse; Senate; Senators; Settle; Solve; Southerners; Special problems; State officials; Stolen; Story; Strength; Stronger; Support; Talking; Towns; Treatment; Unlikely; Urged; Walter F. George; Weakened; West

Subjects: African Americans; Analysis; Blacks; Cancer; Cities; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Color; Counties; Death; Federal government; Filibusters; Georgia; Money; People; Politicians; Poor; Race; Religion; Schools; Segregation; Sex; Speeches; States; Sympathy; Texan; Thinking; Time; Views; Washington (D.C.); Work

Partial Transcript: But anyway, I--just to give you an idea of its--of--its--w--what it dealt with.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper lists and explains the provisions that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers to all Americans.

Keywords: 6th grade; Agreements; Allowed; Appointed; Banks; Basis; Bus stops; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Colleges; Commissioner of Education; Companies; Conciliated; Conditions of employment; Confer; Congress; Court decisions; Decision; Desegregation; Different; Difficult; EEOC; Efforts; Employment practices; Enlarged; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (U.S.); Equal employment; Extension; Factor; Failure; Federal court; Federal programs; Filed; Follow-up; Grant; Grounds; Guarantees; Important; Interference; Lawsuits; National origin; No discrimination; No problem; Not qualified; Open; Operations; Ordered; Preparations; President; Prevention; Problems; Provisions; Public; Public accommodation; Public buildings; Public education; Public facilities; Punishment; Reasoning; Recent; Recommendation; Report; Sections; State action; State control; State license; Survey; Theory; Tied; Title I; Title II; Title III; Title IV; Title V; Title VI; Title VII; Today; U.S. Attorney General; Unequal; Vote; Voting rights; Women's rights

Subjects: African Americans; Authority; Blacks; Cities; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Common sense; Communities; Contractors; Cooperation; Credit; Crime; Discrimination; Education; Employees; Friend; Harassment; Hearings; Hotels; Intervention; Kentucky; Literacy tests (Election law); Loans; Louisville (Ky.); Motels; Opportunity; Politicians; Power; Public works; Reasons; Religion; Restaurants; School districts; Schools; Segregation; Sex; States; Theatres; United States; United States Commission on Civil Rights; United States. Community Relations Service; Violence; Voting; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: For the first time--uh--cloture. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses the rarity of having cloture passed in the Senate during the debates over the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Cooper discusses his interactions with J. Strom Thurmond during this time.

Keywords: Amazing; Behind; Bills; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Continued; Debate; Democrat; Evening; Fine; First wife; Hours; Illness; Jumped; Lobby; Long; Lyndon Johnson; Met; No fight; Not as hard; Not attempted; Outside; Possible; Richard Russell; Senate; Senate floor; Senators; Served; Southern state; Speaking; Strom Thurmond; U.S. Army; Voted; Walked; Won; Worried

Subjects: African Americans; Best; Blacks; Brain--Tumors; Chance; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Cloture; Kentucky; Morning; Night; Politicians; Probability; Segregation; Sick; Speech; Washington (D.C.); World War II

Partial Transcript: --Uh--of course, the battle still goes on in many areas.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper talks of debates and struggles over civil rights in the 1980s. Cooper details the management of the 1964 Civil Rights bill amongst different Senators from each party, which helped in getting the bill passed.

Keywords: Agreement; Appointed; Battle; Busing; Civil Rights Act of 1964; Curious; Democrats; Desegregation; Different; Factors; Federal agencies; Fighting; Great man; Group; Hubert Humphrey; Indirect; Kenneth Keating; Lyndon Johnson; Manage; Managing; Nationalities; Never mentioned; Not discussed; Opposing; Paul Douglas; Progress; Question; Republicans; Section; Senate; Senators; Shifted; The South; Today

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Boston (Mass.); Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Courts; Education; Illinois; New York; New York (N.Y.); People; Politicians; Schools; Segregation; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Had Kennedy lived that he would have asked for this strong a bill. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper provides a comparison between Presidents Johnson and Kennedy on civil rights, if Kennedy had not been assassinated. Cooper evaluates the effects of the riots in the South upon the Senate and its propensity to take action on civil rights.

Keywords: Admit; Always; Anniversary; Bad; Battle; Bill; Bobby Kennedy; Circumstances; Conditions; Congress; Differences; Different; Different backgrounds; Drive; Excitement; Factor; Feeling; Fire hoses; Forceful; Frequent; Hardship; Influence; John F. Kennedy; Kennedy family; Lyndon Johnson; No doubt; Not pompous; Opposition; Organizations; Passed; Possible; Recent; Recognizing; Religious groups; Required; Result; Ruthless; Same; Senate; Senators; Side; Speeded up; Tough; Women's groups; Worse; Young people

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Character; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Demonstrations; Discrimination; Early life; Education; Freedom Rides (1961); Immigrants; Judgement; Life; Living; Luxury; People; Personality; Police dogs; Politicians; Presidents; Riots; Segregation; Travel; United States; Violence; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Curious enough too--it happened in Kentucky along about that time.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper describes the state of the civil rights movement in Kentucky during the 1960s. Cooper shares reactions from constituents on his stance on civil rights.

Keywords: Against; Always; Anti-discrimination act; Bert Combs; Bill; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Civil Rights bill; Colleges; Comment; Complaints; Constituents; Envelope; Exceptions; Executive order; Form letter; Group; In favor; Leading; Licensed; Ned Breathitt; No effect; Not mean; Position; Printed; Progress; Public statement; Senate; Senators; Small opposition; Southern states; Sponsor; Unable; Understand; Visit; Vote

Subjects: African Americans; Blacks; Business; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Discrimination; Explanation; Good; Governors; Judgment; Kentuckians; Kentucky; Kentucky. General Assembly; Letters; Mail; Nursing; People; Politicians; Population; Reputation; Schools; Segregation; Speech; Time; Voting; Washington (D.C.); Writing

Partial Transcript: . . .About civil rights and the role of--of the various administrations. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper assesses the role of several presidential administrations in advocating for civil rights. Cooper reflects upon when National Guard troops had to be called in to Kentucky due to civil rights unrest.

Keywords: Above; Advocate; After; Albert "Happy" Chandler; Asked; Battle of the Bulge; Beliefs; Bill; Bills; Branches of government; Breakdown; Brigade; Clifford Case; Command; Commanding general; Company; Daylight; Deleted; Desegregation; Drafted; Dwight Eisenhower; Emotional; Exception; Executive order; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Good marks; Good record; Harry Truman; Help; Herbert Brownell Jr; Hometown; Honest; John F. Kennedy; Kept in; Later; Law & order; Lyndon Johnson; Major general; Moved; Never commented; No civil rights legislation; No hesitation; Not permitted; Orval Faubus; Outbreak; Passive; Phone call; Platforms; Positions; Present; Provision; Questioned; Reason; Republicans; Right; School; Senate; Senate floor; Senators; Separate; Ships; Story; Stricken; Subject; Surrounded; Troops; U.S. Attorney General; Unloading; Wish; Witness

Subjects: Administration; African Americans; Arkansas; Armed Forces; Blacks; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Discrimination; Economics; Europe; Good; Historians; Independence; Kentucky; Little Rock (Ark.); National guard; Night; Partisanship; Politicians; Presidents; Reputation; Segregation; Somerset (Ky.); Sturgis (Ky.); Time; Truck drivers; United States Commission on Civil Rights; Violence; Washington (D.C.); Whites; Work; World War II

Partial Transcript: . . And had settled on a strategy of trying to promote integration by--through executive orders. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses JFK's civil rights strategy of using executive orders to make progress in the civil rights movement. Cooper talks of different Southern Senators and their varying levels of opposition to civil rights.

Keywords: Afraid; Against; Aggressive; Allen Ellender; Always; Background; Bad; Beliefs; Bobby Kennedy; Clever; Command; Confided; Congress; Considerations; Critical; Democrats; Difficult; Emergency action; Exception; Feelings; Fine line; Force; Governor; Greater; Hard; Harsh; Implementation; Integration; James Meredith; Jim Eastland; John F. Kennedy; Lyndon Johnson; Majority Leader; Mind; More common; Never discussed; Never mentioned; Opinion; Opposition; Overused; Places; President; Problems; Promote; Purpose; Pushed; Questioned; Reactions; Repudiated; Revoked; Richard Russell; Sections; Senate; Senators; Serve; Stand; Story; Strong; The South; Today; Tough; Troops; U.S. Attorney General; U.S. Constitution; Vote; Votes; Walter F. George; Win

Subjects: Ability; African Americans; Blacks; Brother; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Civil rights; Civil rights movement; Executive orders; Honesty; Law; Logic; Louisiana; Men; Mississippi; Opportunity; Politicians; Russia; Segregation; Soviet Union; Speeches; Strategy; Thinking; Time; University of Mississippi; Washington (D.C.)