This is a good article. Click here for more information.

Strom Thurmond filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1957

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thurmond sitting in a suit and tie holding a pen
Strom Thurmond, c.1961
Strom Thurmond.jpg This article is part of a series about
Strom Thurmond
  • Family

Governor of South Carolina

U.S. Senator from South Carolina

Legacy

Strom Thumond Signature.svg

United States Senate
  • v
  • t

On August 28, 1957, United States Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina began a filibuster, or extended speech, intended to stop the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It began at 8:54 p.m. and lasted until 9:12 p.m. the following day, for a total length of 24 hours and 18 minutes. This made the filibuster the longest single-person filibuster in U.S. Senate history, a record that still stands today. The content of the filibuster focused primarily on asserting that the bill was both unnecessary and unconstitutional, with Thurmond reading from a number of laws and other legal documents. While the filibuster was supported by many South Carolinians, Thurmond's decision to filibuster the bill went against a previous agreement among Southern Senators. As a result, Thurmond received mixed praise and criticism for his speech. Thurmond's filibuster is widely seen as racist today, as the civil rights bill it opposed protected voting rights for African-Americans. Despite the filibuster, the bill passed within two hours of Thurmond's speech.

Background and goals[]

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was designed to federally secure and protect the right of African Americans to vote.[1] While the 15th Amendment had federally guaranteed men of all races the right to vote in 1870, state laws, poll taxes, and other institutions prevented African-Americans from voting.[2] The Civil Rights Act of 1957 aimed to protect African-Americans' voting rights by establishing a Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice and a U.S. Civil Rights Commission, among other things.[3] In the Senate, the bill was supported by Republicans and Democrats, though most Democrats from southern states opposed the bill.[4][5] Thurmond personally saw the bill as an attack on fellow South Carolinian John C. Calhoun, whom he admired.[6] South Carolina's Governor George Bell Timmerman urged citizens to pressure their representatives to filibuster, stating that if Southern Senators did not filibuster they would be responsible for "compromising the inalienable rights of the American people."[7] Newspapers had reported that the bill would likely pass without a filibuster, as a vote to send the bill back to committee had failed 66–18 and there was no indication that the opposition intended to filibuster.[8]

Thurmond's election as Governor of South Carolina in 1946 and subsequent bid for president as a member of the right-wing States' Rights Democratic Party in the 1948 presidential election thrust him into the national spotlight. Thurmond garnered more than 1 million votes and won four states in his third-party presidential bid. Six years later in 1954, Thurmond ran as a Democrat and was elected to the Senate in a write-in campaign as the junior senator from South Carolina.[9] Thurmond's political candidacies were largely based on his pro-segregationist views.[10]

An agreement among the Southern senators to not stage an organized filibuster was reached in Richard Russell's office 4 days prior to Thurmond's speech.[11] Thurmond's filibuster, largely a surprise, was intended to stop the bill from passing.[12] While Thurmond alone could not have sustained the filibuster long enough to prevent a vote on the bill, there was considerable uncertainty at the time as to whether or not other senators would join.[13] Thurmond's departure from the senators' agreement was later criticized by party leaders including Russell and Herman Talmadge.[14]

Filibuster[]

Thurmond opened his filibuster at 8:54 p.m. on August 28, 1957, asserting that the civil rights bill was unconstitutional and constituted "cruel and unusual punishment".[15] He went on to read documents primarily related to the United States and its history, including the Declaration of Independence, the election laws of each of the 48 states in alphabetical order, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the U.S. Bill of Rights, and George Washington's Farewell Address.[16][17] Thurmond's reading of state election laws was intended to show that voting rights were secure enough without the bill.[15] Thurmond also argued against a provision in the bill that allowed for minor criminal contempt cases to be heard by a judge without a jury present.[18][15] The filibuster drew to a close after 24 hours and 18 minutes at 9:12 p.m. on August 29, making it the longest filibuster ever conducted in the Senate to this day.[19][12] Thurmond was congratulated by Wayne Morse, the previous record holder, who spoke for 22 hours and 26 minutes in 1953.[7][20] Consuming 84 pages in the Congressional Record, Thurmond's filibuster cost taxpayers over $6,000 in printing costs.[21]

In order to save his voice and stamina, Thurmond spent time answering questions and receiving rebuke from other senators.[15] Those who asked questions generally did so with the intent of allowing Thurmond's voice to rest.[17] He also took two short breaks to allow for Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson to take care of Senate business, including the swearing-in of William Proxmire who had been elected after the death of Joseph McCarthy.[17] Thurmond's tone was described as being monotonous, with his volume falling to a mumble at times. Republican leader William Knowland from California asked that Thurmond speak up so he could be sure no motions were being made, to which Thurmond requested, "Will the Senator from California move a little closer."[22]

Thurmond claimed to have taken daily steam baths leading up to the filibuster in order to draw fluids out of his body, thus dehydrating himself and allowing himself to absorb fluids for a longer period of time during the filibuster.[23][15] However, it has also been rumored that Thurmond was "fitted with a contraption devised for long motoring trips" that allowed him to relieve himself.[24][16] Thurmond was allowed to relieve himself only once, approximately three hours into his filibuster. Senator Barry Goldwater quietly asked Thurmond how much longer he could hold off using the restroom, to which he replied, "about another hour".[23] Goldwater asked Thurmond to yield the floor to him for a few minutes, and Thurmond was able to use the restroom while Goldwater spoke.[23] An aide had prepared a bucket in the Senate cloakroom for Thurmond to relieve himself if the need arose, but Thurmond did not end up using it.[23][25] One of Thurmond's former aides stated that the filibuster was ended because of concern from doctors that Thurmond would damage his kidneys.[26]

During the filibuster, Thurmond sustained himself on diced pieces of pumpernickel bread and small pieces of cooked hamburger.[23] He also sucked on "throat lozenges and malted milk tablets" to keep himself from getting hoarse.[15] Thurmond had prepared for the filibuster by eating a steak shortly before speaking.[22]

Outcome and reception[]

The filibuster failed to prevent the passage of the bill, and further failed to change the vote whatsoever.[17] The bill passed less than two hours after Thurmond finished speaking.[27] Thurmond's filibuster has been widely described as racist, as Thurmond attempted to block a law that protected the right of African-Americans to vote.[19][28] According to Joseph Crespino, Thurmond's filibuster in 1957, as well as his authorship of the Southern Manifesto the preceding year, "sealed Thurmond's reputation as one of the South's last Confederates, a champion of white southerners' campaign of 'massive resistance'" to civil rights.[29]

Thurmond received significant criticism from members of his own party, including Herman Talmadge, Richard Russell, and the Southern Caucus as a whole. Talmadge referred to the speech as a form of grandstanding, and Russell denounced it as "personal political aggrandizement."[24]

In 1964, Thurmond (who would switch his affiliation to the Republican Party later that year) participated in a second anti-civil rights filibuster, this time against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[30] The 1964 filibuster was carried out by a group of Southern Senators over 60 days and was only ended by a cloture vote.[12] Thurmond was repeatedly elected and served in the Senate for 48 years, making him the oldest and longest-serving Senator ever at the time of his retirement.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ Egelhoff, Tom. "The Civil Rights Act of … 1957?". AM 1450 KMMS. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Black Americans and the Vote". National Archives. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Civil Rights Act of 1957, September 9, 1957". Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "HR. 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. -- Senate Vote #75 -- Aug 7, 1957". GovTrack. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Congress passes Civil Rights Act Aug. 29, 1957". Politico. August 29, 2007.
  6. ^ Washington-Williams, Essie Mae; Stadiem, William (25 January 2005). Dear senator : a memoir by the daughter of Strom Thurmond. New York, New York: Regan Books. pp. 175–176. ISBN 978-0-06-076095-3.
  7. ^ a b Quint, Howard H. (1958). Profile in black and white; a frank portrait of South Carolina. Public Affairs Press. p. 157.
  8. ^ O'Leary, J.A. (August 28, 1957). "Filibuster Out; Windup Set Saturday". The Evening Star. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Welna, David (December 5, 2002). "Strom Thurmond at 100". National Public Radio. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Osmundson, Paul (September 1, 2020). "Was Strom Thurmond a racist? Two of his biographers to discuss his legacy". The State. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Bass, Jack; Thompson, Marilyn W. (2005). Strom : The complicated personal and political life of Strom Thurmond. New York, New York: New York : Public Affairs. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-58648-297-8.
  12. ^ a b c "Filibuster and Cloture". United States Senate. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "President Told Adjournment Is Near Today". The Evening Star. August 29, 1957. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Bass, Jack; Thompson, Marilyn W. (2005). Strom : The complicated personal and political life of Strom Thurmond. New York, New York: New York : Public Affairs. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-58648-297-8.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Thurmond Holds Senate Record for Filibustering". Fox News. Associated Press. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  16. ^ a b Kelly, Jon (12 December 2012). "How do you talk for 24 hours non-stop?". BBC News. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d Hickey, Walt. "The Longest Filibuster In History Lasted More Than A Day — Here's How It Went Down". Business Insider. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  18. ^ Crespino, Joseph (4 September 2012). Strom Thurmond's America. New York : Hill and Wang. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-8090-9480-6. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "The Racist Filibuster We Can't Afford to Forget". New York Public Radio. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  20. ^ Byrd, Robert C. (1988). The Senate, 1789-1989. U.S. Government Publishing Office. p. 148. ISBN 0160064058.
  21. ^ "Filibuster Proves Costly". The Cuero Record. United Press International. September 1, 1957. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Waltz, Jay (August 29, 1957). "Carolinian Sets Talking Record" (PDF). The New York Times.
  23. ^ a b c d e "How Did Strom Thurmond Last Through His 24-Hour Filibuster?". National Public Radio. March 7, 2013.
  24. ^ a b Crespino, Joseph (4 September 2012). Strom Thurmond's America. New York : Hill and Wang. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0-8090-9480-6. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  25. ^ "Chris Murphy's 15-hour filibuster? It doesn't compare to Strom Thurmond's". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Strom Thurmond, Longest Serving Senator, Dies At 100". PBS NewsHour. June 27, 2003. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  27. ^ Cornell, Dougals B. (August 30, 1957). "Third Party Seed Planted?". The Sumter Daily Item. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  28. ^ Brockell, Gillian (March 26, 2021). "Note to Mitch McConnell: The Senate's longest filibuster was definitely racist". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  29. ^ Crespino, Joseph (4 September 2012). Strom Thurmond's America. New York : Hill and Wang. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8090-9480-6. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  30. ^ "U.S. Senate: Civil Rights Act of 1964". United States Senate. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
Retrieved from ""