Freedom's Pragmatist

Lyndon Johnson and Civil Rights

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Civil Rights, Biography & Memoir, Political, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Freedom's Pragmatist by Sylvia Ellis, University Press of Florida
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sylvia Ellis ISBN: 9780813047188
Publisher: University Press of Florida Publication: September 24, 2013
Imprint: University Press of Florida Language: English
Author: Sylvia Ellis
ISBN: 9780813047188
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Publication: September 24, 2013
Imprint: University Press of Florida
Language: English

History has labeled Lyndon B. Johnson "Lincoln's successor." But how did a southern president representing a predominately conservative state, with connections to some of the nation's leading segregationists, come to play such an influential role in civil rights history? In Freedom's Pragmatist, Sylvia Ellis tracks Johnson's personal and political civil rights journey, from his childhood and early adulthood in Texas to his lengthy career in Congress and the Senate to his time as vice president and president.

Once in the White House, and pressured constantly by grassroots civil rights protests, Johnson made a major contribution to the black freedom struggle through his effective use of executive power. He provided much-needed moral leadership on racial equality; secured the passage of landmark civil rights acts that ended legal segregation and ensured voting rights for blacks; pushed for affirmative action; introduced antipoverty, education, and health programs that benefited all; and made important and symbolic appointments of African Americans to key political positions.

Freedom's Pragmatist argues that place, historical context, and personal ambition are the keys to understanding Johnson on civil rights. And Johnson is key to understanding the history of civil rights in the United States. Ellis emphasizes Johnson's complex love-hate relationship with the South, his innate compassion for the disadvantaged and dispossessed, and his political instincts and skills that allowed him to know when and how to implement racial change in a divided nation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

History has labeled Lyndon B. Johnson "Lincoln's successor." But how did a southern president representing a predominately conservative state, with connections to some of the nation's leading segregationists, come to play such an influential role in civil rights history? In Freedom's Pragmatist, Sylvia Ellis tracks Johnson's personal and political civil rights journey, from his childhood and early adulthood in Texas to his lengthy career in Congress and the Senate to his time as vice president and president.

Once in the White House, and pressured constantly by grassroots civil rights protests, Johnson made a major contribution to the black freedom struggle through his effective use of executive power. He provided much-needed moral leadership on racial equality; secured the passage of landmark civil rights acts that ended legal segregation and ensured voting rights for blacks; pushed for affirmative action; introduced antipoverty, education, and health programs that benefited all; and made important and symbolic appointments of African Americans to key political positions.

Freedom's Pragmatist argues that place, historical context, and personal ambition are the keys to understanding Johnson on civil rights. And Johnson is key to understanding the history of civil rights in the United States. Ellis emphasizes Johnson's complex love-hate relationship with the South, his innate compassion for the disadvantaged and dispossessed, and his political instincts and skills that allowed him to know when and how to implement racial change in a divided nation.

More books from University Press of Florida

Cover of the book Ritual, Violence, and the Fall of the Classic Maya Kings by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Sunshine Paradise by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Madame Lalaurie, Mistress of the Haunted House by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book No Student Left Behind by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Thunder on the River by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Trial and Imprisonment of Jonathan Walker, at Pensacola, Florida, for Aiding Slaves to Escape from Bondage by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book High Seas Wranglers by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book A Journey into Florida Railroad History by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book José Martí, the United States, and Race by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Sustainable Urban Agriculture in Cuba by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Florida's Minority Trailblazers by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Distilling the Influence of Alcohol by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Saving Florida by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book Freedom for Women by Sylvia Ellis
Cover of the book The Odyssey of an African Slave by Sylvia Ellis
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy