Category: Civil Rights
-
Legen-dairy: Kefauver’s Wisconsin Connection
Kefauver and the Badger State understood each other. In 1957, long shot Bill Proxmire stunned the world and reached the Senate using Kefauver’s playbook – with Kefauver’s help.
-
A Complicated Heritage
For two decades, the American Heritage Foundation preached the importance of community and civic engagement. Their message was valuable, but it missed something important… something that Kefauver understood.
-
Reckoning With Russell
Richard Russell was considered one of the great Senators of all time. He also led the Southern resistance to civil rights. How should he be remembered?
-
The People vs. The Big Few
Throughout his career, Kefauver never lost touch with the people he served. A brochure from his final campaign proves it.
-
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Kefauver?
Kefauver’s Senate colleagues famously disliked him. But it wasn’t really personal – their dislike came from a deeper source.
-
Portrait of a Lady
Lady Bird Johnson wasn’t just Lyndon’s wife – she was a key political adviser and an astute observer. Her comments about Kefauver show that she understood his immense political gifts – and what held him back.
-
Opening Up An “All-American City”
In the final months of his life, Kefauver endorsed a newspaper’s call for Knoxville, Tennessee to be an integrated “open city.” Did Knoxville’s example offer a model for desegregation without violence?
-
Can Kefauver Lead Us Out of the Culture War?
Today’s Democrats have a hard time speaking effectively on controversial cultural issues. They’d benefit from studying how Kefauver addressed the challenging issues of his era.
-
“Twentieth-Century Southerners”: Kefauver’s Bold Appeal on Civil Rights
During the 1956 campaign, Kefauver faced scrutiny from Southerners on civil rights. He responded with a courageous appeal to the South’s better angels. Read on to see how he did it.
-
Advise and Dissent: The Short, Controversial Life of the DAC
In the 1950, Democratic liberals were frustrated by conservative Congressional leaders and the ever-popular Ike. So they founded the Democratic Advisory Council to make their voices heard. Was it a success or a failure… or both?
Estes Kefauver for President 