launderess
Well-known member
They just don't make em like this anymore.
God bless her soul.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6350466
God bless her soul.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6350466
RIP - Lady Bird Johnson
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63getelevision
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A Real Lady
What a wonderful person she was, and even at age 94, in her case it was much too soon to go. Rest well, Mrs. Johnson.
What a wonderful person she was, and even at age 94, in her case it was much too soon to go. Rest well, Mrs. Johnson.
~sudsshane
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RIP 1912-2007
As first lady, she was perhaps best known as the determined environmentalist who wanted roadside billboards and junkyards replaced with trees and wildflowers. She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to beautify Washington. The $320 million Highway Beautification Bill, passed in 1965, was known as "The Lady Bird Bill," and she made speeches and lobbied Congress to win its passage. A classy "lady" to the end..
As first lady, she was perhaps best known as the determined environmentalist who wanted roadside billboards and junkyards replaced with trees and wildflowers. She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to beautify Washington. The $320 million Highway Beautification Bill, passed in 1965, was known as "The Lady Bird Bill," and she made speeches and lobbied Congress to win its passage. A classy "lady" to the end..
Being old enough to remember when her husband was in office..(just barely though..lol) She was gracious, sophisticated and truly a great first lady. It makes one wonder what would have happened if she would have had a longer term to do her great deeds. Texans should be very proud.
scott55405
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RIP-though I was pretty young when they were in office (I say they because I'm quite sure it's more a team effort in all events than is generally publicly let on, even though people like Mrs. Johnson accomplished much in her own right), I know of some of her work, and always thought she seemed a most gracious and lovely lady.
Mrs Johnson Thank You
I was sorry to hear on the new's of Mrs Johnsons death. History kind of cheats these ladies on all their individual achievments and contributions to society, I had no idea one of her career goals was Journalism. Sudsshane, the picture you selected for your post (I had not seen that one), was a treat. alr2903
I was sorry to hear on the new's of Mrs Johnsons death. History kind of cheats these ladies on all their individual achievments and contributions to society, I had no idea one of her career goals was Journalism. Sudsshane, the picture you selected for your post (I had not seen that one), was a treat. alr2903
pturo
New member
I think so many of her accomplishments were eclipsed by the Vietnam War and the past tragedies of the prior adminstration. I never knew about her environmental activisim about replacing roadside billboards and junkyards with trees. How ahead of her time! She seemed to have a grace to hold herself above mention, but it would be great to know what she really thought during the difficult times in the 60's.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
She'll Be Missed...
I was all of eleven when the Johnsons were thrust into the White House, but for the next five years, I was sure that people who cared about every American were in power. I've always regretted that the morass of Vietnam prompted LBJ to throw in the towel, politically speaking; we could have used four more years of the Johnson's stewardship, instead of getting mixed up with Nixon and Watergate.
The thing I liked best about Lady Bird was the unselfconscious poetry that rolled off that Texas tongue. When she was asked why she didn't go ahead and occupy the White House the minute she could, instead of inviting Jacqueline Kennedy to stay as long as she needed to, Lady Bird replied, "I wish to Heaven I could serve Mrs. Kennedy's happiness. I can at least serve her convenience."
I had the privilege of shaking her hand at the Atlanta Flower Show here, back in the 1990's; I was working for the Atlanta Botanical Garden at the time. We were all told she was ill, and that we shouldn't strain her by lingering too long. I hope she knew that we were trying to be considerate, not standoffish.
I was all of eleven when the Johnsons were thrust into the White House, but for the next five years, I was sure that people who cared about every American were in power. I've always regretted that the morass of Vietnam prompted LBJ to throw in the towel, politically speaking; we could have used four more years of the Johnson's stewardship, instead of getting mixed up with Nixon and Watergate.
The thing I liked best about Lady Bird was the unselfconscious poetry that rolled off that Texas tongue. When she was asked why she didn't go ahead and occupy the White House the minute she could, instead of inviting Jacqueline Kennedy to stay as long as she needed to, Lady Bird replied, "I wish to Heaven I could serve Mrs. Kennedy's happiness. I can at least serve her convenience."
I had the privilege of shaking her hand at the Atlanta Flower Show here, back in the 1990's; I was working for the Atlanta Botanical Garden at the time. We were all told she was ill, and that we shouldn't strain her by lingering too long. I hope she knew that we were trying to be considerate, not standoffish.
She was the first First Lady I ever knew, and I agree with everything everyone here has said. A truly gracious lady, who symbolized everything good about Texas (and, if might add, Democrats ;-)
The Lady Bird Bill
Shane,
Thanks for the brief history lesson. IMHO, the Highway Beautification Bill of 1965 was one of the best (and probably most well known) pieces of early environmental legislation ever passed. We sure could use her influence and direction now.
Shane,
Thanks for the brief history lesson. IMHO, the Highway Beautification Bill of 1965 was one of the best (and probably most well known) pieces of early environmental legislation ever passed. We sure could use her influence and direction now.
twinniefan
Well-known member
Mrs. Johnson
What a very beautiful and classy lady,it seems so unfair that the nicest people die, I wish we could hold on to them forever.
What a very beautiful and classy lady,it seems so unfair that the nicest people die, I wish we could hold on to them forever.
bigbubbacain
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We get to witness her legacy every spring.....
Every year here in Texas, starting about March, The greenbelt areas of our highways come alive with Bluebonnets(aka Blue Lupine), our state flower. It seems as though their spread has been exponential through my lifetime, thanks to Ladybird. They were near extinction at one time and hard to spot. Nowadays when spring hits, there are solid fields of them, then bloom the Indian Paintbrush, then another flower species and another. I think it's most amazing thing anyone ever did for their state
Every year here in Texas, starting about March, The greenbelt areas of our highways come alive with Bluebonnets(aka Blue Lupine), our state flower. It seems as though their spread has been exponential through my lifetime, thanks to Ladybird. They were near extinction at one time and hard to spot. Nowadays when spring hits, there are solid fields of them, then bloom the Indian Paintbrush, then another flower species and another. I think it's most amazing thing anyone ever did for their state
westyslantfront
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RIP Lady Bird and my condolences to her family.
Ross
Ross
maytagbear
Well-known member
She was a pioneer
and a true lady.
She got us to thinking about natural resources and the environment.
She will be missed.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
-----------------------
If anyone wants to know, Lady Bird/Claudia Johnson was an international figure, of increasing importance.
and a true lady.
She got us to thinking about natural resources and the environment.
She will be missed.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
-----------------------
If anyone wants to know, Lady Bird/Claudia Johnson was an international figure, of increasing importance.
Does anyone remember the hilarious Fannie Flagg imitations of Lady Bird. I remember part of the routine advising that you should plant "a thing of beauty, a tree, bush or shcrub" as it was pronounced. Last night on the news they had a clip of her speaking and she did the same thing, listing things without an article, but a long pause in front of each item.
I also remember when Eartha Kitt was at some ladies' function at the White House and made a comment about the war. Lady Bird took deep personal offense and EK had to go to Europe for years because she could not find work here. That's the steel magnolia in Lady Bird.
It was a time when the Democrats in control of the government did try to do things to improve the lives of many people, except the people fighting in Viet Nam, and the party paid and is still paying a heavy price for that. Not every program was successfully drawn up or implemented, but I do think that there was more empathy then than now.
I also remember when Eartha Kitt was at some ladies' function at the White House and made a comment about the war. Lady Bird took deep personal offense and EK had to go to Europe for years because she could not find work here. That's the steel magnolia in Lady Bird.
It was a time when the Democrats in control of the government did try to do things to improve the lives of many people, except the people fighting in Viet Nam, and the party paid and is still paying a heavy price for that. Not every program was successfully drawn up or implemented, but I do think that there was more empathy then than now.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Tomturbomatic:
"I also remember when Eartha Kitt was at some ladies' function at the White House and made a comment about the war. Lady Bird took deep personal offense and EK had to go to Europe for years because she could not find work here. That's the steel magnolia in Lady Bird."
This is a story that has gotten to be something of an urban legend with a little truth mixed in. What actually happened is more interesting than the legend, I think:
The event was a 1968 women's luncheon at the White House. While the ostensible purpose of the event was to discuss the problems of inner-city youth, Kitt became very pointed, telling everyone loudly that the costs of Vietnam were detrimental to programs needed in America's inner cities, and speaking out against the war itself.
Kitt had a point, but her insistence on having her say in an inappropriate time and place was star hubris at its worst. For an invitee to the White House to use an event as a stage for protest is Simply. Not. Done.
Lady Bird was offended, according to those who were there, but kept her cool. What damaged Kitt were the responses of the Secret Service, FBI, and the CIA, each of which agencies compiled dossiers on Kitt. Their questions and interviews of Kitt's professional associates were probably what had a chilling effect on Kitt's career. I don't think anyone alive knows for certain if Lady Bird or LBJ personally requested such tactics. In Lady Bird's case, I rather think not. In LBJ's case- well, that's another story. And it's always possible that overzealous Feds went to work without any prodding from either of the Johnsons.
The moral of the story is: If you get invited to the White House, tell your hostess how lovely she looks, and how charming the house is. Shake hands, smile, drink your tea, and GO. Politics can wait. In fact, they'd better. Eartha Kitt has been telling her version of events for forty years without once admitting that she was guilty of supreme rudeness, no matter how justifed her position.
"I also remember when Eartha Kitt was at some ladies' function at the White House and made a comment about the war. Lady Bird took deep personal offense and EK had to go to Europe for years because she could not find work here. That's the steel magnolia in Lady Bird."
This is a story that has gotten to be something of an urban legend with a little truth mixed in. What actually happened is more interesting than the legend, I think:
The event was a 1968 women's luncheon at the White House. While the ostensible purpose of the event was to discuss the problems of inner-city youth, Kitt became very pointed, telling everyone loudly that the costs of Vietnam were detrimental to programs needed in America's inner cities, and speaking out against the war itself.
Kitt had a point, but her insistence on having her say in an inappropriate time and place was star hubris at its worst. For an invitee to the White House to use an event as a stage for protest is Simply. Not. Done.
Lady Bird was offended, according to those who were there, but kept her cool. What damaged Kitt were the responses of the Secret Service, FBI, and the CIA, each of which agencies compiled dossiers on Kitt. Their questions and interviews of Kitt's professional associates were probably what had a chilling effect on Kitt's career. I don't think anyone alive knows for certain if Lady Bird or LBJ personally requested such tactics. In Lady Bird's case, I rather think not. In LBJ's case- well, that's another story. And it's always possible that overzealous Feds went to work without any prodding from either of the Johnsons.
The moral of the story is: If you get invited to the White House, tell your hostess how lovely she looks, and how charming the house is. Shake hands, smile, drink your tea, and GO. Politics can wait. In fact, they'd better. Eartha Kitt has been telling her version of events for forty years without once admitting that she was guilty of supreme rudeness, no matter how justifed her position.
lokringbob
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Correction of History
It is documented that it was L.B.J. who put the dogs on to Eartha not Lady Bird, She had to much class to do something like that.
I'm sorry to have to point this out and it is ment to be a gentle reminder, but the White House is also know as the People's House, as in the People of the United States.
These people (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clintons, and the Bush's) aspire to reside in "OUR" National house, and along with this residence come the complements and the criticism. Eartha was only pointing out the obvious, and the truth. That war cost this country greatly ….and in a great many ways.
So the moral of MY story is: If you get invited to the White House, tell your "Renter" the drapes need replacing and the carpet should be changed.
LOL
It is documented that it was L.B.J. who put the dogs on to Eartha not Lady Bird, She had to much class to do something like that.
I'm sorry to have to point this out and it is ment to be a gentle reminder, but the White House is also know as the People's House, as in the People of the United States.
These people (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clintons, and the Bush's) aspire to reside in "OUR" National house, and along with this residence come the complements and the criticism. Eartha was only pointing out the obvious, and the truth. That war cost this country greatly ….and in a great many ways.
So the moral of MY story is: If you get invited to the White House, tell your "Renter" the drapes need replacing and the carpet should be changed.
LOL
brettsomers
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supreme rudeness?
naïveté maybe? i imagine the meeting was what we would now call a publicity stunt or photo-op?
certainly war affects working-class youth. shame on Kitt for not playing along with the White House charade!
naïveté maybe? i imagine the meeting was what we would now call a publicity stunt or photo-op?
certainly war affects working-class youth. shame on Kitt for not playing along with the White House charade!
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Gently...
All I can say is, that's not how the game is played.
Kitt would have done far better to use her "meet and greet" time to wangle an appointment with the President, where she might have discussed her views calmly and with the Big Guy's full attention. If such an appointment wasn't possible, asking if she might send a letter to the Prez would have been another option. After making such a request, the letter would most definitely have been read- if not by LBJ, certainly at a very high level.
Embarrassing your host is never the way to GET your way, trust me. Part of having rights is knowing how to exercise them without offending others. You have a perfect right to relieve your bowels. But you don't do it on the street.
All I can say is, that's not how the game is played.
Kitt would have done far better to use her "meet and greet" time to wangle an appointment with the President, where she might have discussed her views calmly and with the Big Guy's full attention. If such an appointment wasn't possible, asking if she might send a letter to the Prez would have been another option. After making such a request, the letter would most definitely have been read- if not by LBJ, certainly at a very high level.
Embarrassing your host is never the way to GET your way, trust me. Part of having rights is knowing how to exercise them without offending others. You have a perfect right to relieve your bowels. But you don't do it on the street.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I was 11 years old when Kennedy was shot. It was a terrible time, but I was still too young to understand the fill impact of that tragedy. In the ensuing years, I remember LBJ getting mercilessly pilloried by critics across the political spectrum. In fact I was known in my homeroom class for my drawling and probably very bad impression. That and a very pathetic and juvenile Hitler shtick. LOL.
In any case, over the years I've grown to respect LBJ and what he accomplished. The War on Poverty was a monumental undertaking, and it truly benefitted millions of Americans - myself included. I don't know if I would ever have entered a first class university and graduated had it not been for his initiatives.
Fortunately Lady Bird was spared the ridicule her husband seemed to attract like a magnet. Most people seemed to think that beautifying America was something you really couldn't object to. But I guess some did regret exchanging the elegant Jackie Kennedy for the more mature and down-to-earth Lady Bird. It surely wasn't her fault!
I guess there are a lot of theories about LBJ's decision to retire from politics, but I suspect that his unpopularity was only part of it. The man must not have been in very good health, as he died before Nixon could be impeached.
I have an old newspaper I saved from 1965 (when I was a paper boy in SF). Inside it has one of those little human interest features newspapers occasionally run. In this case it was a photo of LBJ's custom made boots with the presidential seal on them. That this was considered newsworthy was a sign of the times; later coverage would not be so benign.
I can't agree with LBJ's decision to escalate the war in Vietname during his years in office, but I also suspect that foreign policy was not one of his stronger points. His handling of that matter certainly tarnished a reputation that could stand on its own based on his considerable domestic achievements.
In any case, over the years I've grown to respect LBJ and what he accomplished. The War on Poverty was a monumental undertaking, and it truly benefitted millions of Americans - myself included. I don't know if I would ever have entered a first class university and graduated had it not been for his initiatives.
Fortunately Lady Bird was spared the ridicule her husband seemed to attract like a magnet. Most people seemed to think that beautifying America was something you really couldn't object to. But I guess some did regret exchanging the elegant Jackie Kennedy for the more mature and down-to-earth Lady Bird. It surely wasn't her fault!
I guess there are a lot of theories about LBJ's decision to retire from politics, but I suspect that his unpopularity was only part of it. The man must not have been in very good health, as he died before Nixon could be impeached.
I have an old newspaper I saved from 1965 (when I was a paper boy in SF). Inside it has one of those little human interest features newspapers occasionally run. In this case it was a photo of LBJ's custom made boots with the presidential seal on them. That this was considered newsworthy was a sign of the times; later coverage would not be so benign.
I can't agree with LBJ's decision to escalate the war in Vietname during his years in office, but I also suspect that foreign policy was not one of his stronger points. His handling of that matter certainly tarnished a reputation that could stand on its own based on his considerable domestic achievements.
63getelevision
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C'est Si Bon
As much as I like Eartha Kitt, she could have been more subtle, no matter how right she was. I'm sure even Lyndon Johnson could be reasoned with.
As much as I like Eartha Kitt, she could have been more subtle, no matter how right she was. I'm sure even Lyndon Johnson could be reasoned with.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
While Kitt may have overstepped some social bounds by speaking off-topic, what subequently happened to her was not right at all.
And, as I recall, those who opposed the war were elated that Kitt had the courage to speak out about it in the White House.
But I don't think Kitt would ever have been given the chance to "reason with" President Johnson. I gather he wasn't at the luncheon anyway, just the First Lady. Kitt, who says she has always lived one day at a time, saw her one chance to make a statement and took it. For that she paid dearly, having to perform only in Europe (her American career collapsed, nobody would hire her) for a decade. If the Johnsons didn't want to hear the opinion of a bright, extremely talented, and very resourceful actress/dancer, perhaps they shouldn't have invited her to the White House in the first place?
And, as I recall, those who opposed the war were elated that Kitt had the courage to speak out about it in the White House.
But I don't think Kitt would ever have been given the chance to "reason with" President Johnson. I gather he wasn't at the luncheon anyway, just the First Lady. Kitt, who says she has always lived one day at a time, saw her one chance to make a statement and took it. For that she paid dearly, having to perform only in Europe (her American career collapsed, nobody would hire her) for a decade. If the Johnsons didn't want to hear the opinion of a bright, extremely talented, and very resourceful actress/dancer, perhaps they shouldn't have invited her to the White House in the first place?
Something about Lady Bird that I did not know was that she did a whistlestop tour of the south in the aftermath of the Civil Rights bill. At the towns along the way, she encountered many people who were very angry, and said the most vulgar things about her and her husband. But she stood up to them, with intelligence and grace and, more often than not, at least won their respect.
Yeah, why was EK there? Was it simply because she was Black and would make good window dressing for a feel good event that would make good press and accomplish nothing? Did the people who drew up the guest list know nothing about Eartha Kitt's personality?? She was the last person you would invite if you were looking for some mealy-mouthed lady who would nod yes to everything. She probably would not have had as bad an aftermath if she had shared her thoughts with someone from the media. I am sorry that Eartha Kitt had 10 years of exile because she told the truth.
Sandy, I am no stranger to the White House or shaking a president's hand, but your servile manner is not what makes for a successful democracy. Jefferson said that if he had to choose between government and a free press, he would choose a free press, so important was the people's voice. Johnson did not need to read a letter from EK to know that the war was going the wrong way, but he had "advisors" who kept telling him it was winnable and they had the daily body counts to prove we were succeeding. There are such tragic circumstances when people do not know history and do not learn from it. We won our independence by fighting successfully against the far larger, but regimented forces of the British Army because this was our land and the citizen soldiers knew every creek, swamp, hill and hollow. They were able to conduct a successful guerilla war against the British and yet we have never considered that when we have hauled off and gone to fight against people in their own land.
I am not saying anything against Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson. I think that she was a smart woman and cared for her husband, her country and its people far more than some who have grown up wealthy. I loved the cadence of her speaking voice and the flowers she planted. I believe that we are a far better country because of very unpopular human rights legislation that Lyndon Johnson was able to get through congress because he knew the dirt on everyone from having served so long on the Hill. It is not entirely his fault that congress found it easier to put people on welfare instead of helping them to work meaningful jobs. Having said that, I have friends' names on that wall and I have other friends who died in VA hospitals here from injuries sustained over there whose names are engraved only on their headstones and in the hearts of those who knew them. I like to walk along the wall at night when tears are not so noticible and fewer people make it a more intimate experience. Other friends came back but used drugs or chain smoked to calm nerves,to help keep the nightmare memories at bay and they were not smokers or drug users before they left. So you might understand my sympathy is with a woman who knew plenty of young men who could not get or stay in college and were subject to the Draft. She saw the damage first hand in the Black community and was this gathering not billed as a discussion on the problems of inner city youth? Given the close association between President Johnson and the war, it was a factor that most would have chosen to sidestep, but she was truthful, if maybe too direct or passionate for a bunch of white ladies at a luncheon in the White House and for Sandy, but if more people spoke truth to power or even had the guts to do it, we would be a far better nation.
A further obscenity of the war was the way that industry was allowed to make weapons while still producing products for consumers. Nobody felt any inconvenience. A friend told me that when the guys had just a few weeks left in Viet Nam, who should come to visit them but a sales representative from General Motors who was there to help them custom order their new car so that it could be ready and delivered to their base when they returned to the United States. We were looking at his Olds Cutlass, gold with a black vinyl roof, on a very hot day. That was the story behind his forgetting to order air conditioning.
I am sorry for going off, but this was a time in my life that I remember very well. It's like an area of burned skin that is more sensitive to heat than the surrounding flesh. The ensuing years have done nothing to lessen the extra sensitivity.
Sandy, I am no stranger to the White House or shaking a president's hand, but your servile manner is not what makes for a successful democracy. Jefferson said that if he had to choose between government and a free press, he would choose a free press, so important was the people's voice. Johnson did not need to read a letter from EK to know that the war was going the wrong way, but he had "advisors" who kept telling him it was winnable and they had the daily body counts to prove we were succeeding. There are such tragic circumstances when people do not know history and do not learn from it. We won our independence by fighting successfully against the far larger, but regimented forces of the British Army because this was our land and the citizen soldiers knew every creek, swamp, hill and hollow. They were able to conduct a successful guerilla war against the British and yet we have never considered that when we have hauled off and gone to fight against people in their own land.
I am not saying anything against Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson. I think that she was a smart woman and cared for her husband, her country and its people far more than some who have grown up wealthy. I loved the cadence of her speaking voice and the flowers she planted. I believe that we are a far better country because of very unpopular human rights legislation that Lyndon Johnson was able to get through congress because he knew the dirt on everyone from having served so long on the Hill. It is not entirely his fault that congress found it easier to put people on welfare instead of helping them to work meaningful jobs. Having said that, I have friends' names on that wall and I have other friends who died in VA hospitals here from injuries sustained over there whose names are engraved only on their headstones and in the hearts of those who knew them. I like to walk along the wall at night when tears are not so noticible and fewer people make it a more intimate experience. Other friends came back but used drugs or chain smoked to calm nerves,to help keep the nightmare memories at bay and they were not smokers or drug users before they left. So you might understand my sympathy is with a woman who knew plenty of young men who could not get or stay in college and were subject to the Draft. She saw the damage first hand in the Black community and was this gathering not billed as a discussion on the problems of inner city youth? Given the close association between President Johnson and the war, it was a factor that most would have chosen to sidestep, but she was truthful, if maybe too direct or passionate for a bunch of white ladies at a luncheon in the White House and for Sandy, but if more people spoke truth to power or even had the guts to do it, we would be a far better nation.
A further obscenity of the war was the way that industry was allowed to make weapons while still producing products for consumers. Nobody felt any inconvenience. A friend told me that when the guys had just a few weeks left in Viet Nam, who should come to visit them but a sales representative from General Motors who was there to help them custom order their new car so that it could be ready and delivered to their base when they returned to the United States. We were looking at his Olds Cutlass, gold with a black vinyl roof, on a very hot day. That was the story behind his forgetting to order air conditioning.
I am sorry for going off, but this was a time in my life that I remember very well. It's like an area of burned skin that is more sensitive to heat than the surrounding flesh. The ensuing years have done nothing to lessen the extra sensitivity.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Tomturbomatic:
I was there, too. The Sixties were a strange and wonderful decade, and I share your mix of wonder and pain at the things that were going on at the time.
One thing I particularly remember was how much got done- I mean real accomplishment- at dinner parties, in board rooms, at church functions, and the like. There were people rioting in the streets demanding change. The change was happening far away from them, in a civil fashion.
My dad knew Martin Luther King (we're Caucasian). He knew people like Mills B. Lane (head of the Citizens & Southern Bank here in Atlanta). He knew many of the South's other leading citizens. I saw the power of civility at work, as these and many other people shook hands with their enemies, made small talk, and then worked around to the business at hand, which was civil rights. Our Mayor Hartsfield was particularly effective when requesting people to set aside decades of segregation: "Don't leave it for the children to do," he said, gently reminding people that their kids would have to deal with whatever world they left them. And I saw a highly racist society voluntarily lay down its prejudice- at least so far as human nature permitted- and begin a new era. We have by no means completed the journey begun at that time, but by grannies we started on it, and we started on it against all odds.
The rioters didn't do that. Not even the Freedom Riders- God rest their souls- did that, though they certainly brought great focus to bear on the situation. The people who knew when and where to press their cause did it.
That's all I can tell you.
I was there, too. The Sixties were a strange and wonderful decade, and I share your mix of wonder and pain at the things that were going on at the time.
One thing I particularly remember was how much got done- I mean real accomplishment- at dinner parties, in board rooms, at church functions, and the like. There were people rioting in the streets demanding change. The change was happening far away from them, in a civil fashion.
My dad knew Martin Luther King (we're Caucasian). He knew people like Mills B. Lane (head of the Citizens & Southern Bank here in Atlanta). He knew many of the South's other leading citizens. I saw the power of civility at work, as these and many other people shook hands with their enemies, made small talk, and then worked around to the business at hand, which was civil rights. Our Mayor Hartsfield was particularly effective when requesting people to set aside decades of segregation: "Don't leave it for the children to do," he said, gently reminding people that their kids would have to deal with whatever world they left them. And I saw a highly racist society voluntarily lay down its prejudice- at least so far as human nature permitted- and begin a new era. We have by no means completed the journey begun at that time, but by grannies we started on it, and we started on it against all odds.
The rioters didn't do that. Not even the Freedom Riders- God rest their souls- did that, though they certainly brought great focus to bear on the situation. The people who knew when and where to press their cause did it.
That's all I can tell you.
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