Category: Civil Rights
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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“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.
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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?
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Electoral College Dropout, Part 5: Kefauver’s Southern Strategy
In 1948, disaffected Southerners tried to hijack the Electoral College because they felt that their region was getting ignored by the national parties. Kefauver sympathized with their complaints… but he felt there was a better way.
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Electoral College Dropout, Part 4: The Dixiecrats’ Dress Rehearsal
We’ve all heard about the South’s third-party effort in the 1948. But did you know that they plotted to subvert the Electoral College four years earlier?
Estes Kefauver for President 