The 1960’s was a very tumultuous and consequential decade. One of the prolonged problems that came home to roost in that era was the Civil Rights issue.

Lyndon B. Johnson had become President after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Johnson was a ruthless “win at all costs” former Senator from Texas. He had been a strong-armed Democratic Senate Majority Leader. He had been in the group of very powerful seniority laden southern bloc of senators who had blocked Civil Rights for at least a decade, even after the 1954 Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at steve@steveflowers.us.