June 11, 1964, Senate democrats filibustered the Civil Rights Acts
Filed under: American History, Congress, History, Politics
An important historical fact to remember, congressional democrats opposed the Civil Rights Act.
Senate democrats filibustered the Civil Rights act for 57 working days, which included a speech by democrat Senator Robert Byrd against the bill that lasted fourteen straight hours. Byrd’s opposition was not surprising, since the late Senator got his start in politics as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan.
The filibuster was finally ended when the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, a Republican from Illinois, pushed for a closure vote in a speech that called for the democrats to end their filibuster and accept racial equality.
The Civil Rights Act was finally voted on, and passed with a majority of Republicans and minority of democrats voting for it.
Monday Book Pick: Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I saw this book in the “New Science Fiction” section at a local bookseller. So “new” means published in the last 100 years, since this book was originally released in 1912! It is a classic, well worth the reprinting. One of the favorite early childhood books of both my brother and myself. I still have that hardcover edition with the Ape-English dictionary in the back.