Harry Truman and Civil Rights: Moral Courage and Political Risks

by Michael R. Gardner, George M. Elsey (Foreword), Kweisi Mfume (Foreword)

Given his background, President Truman was an unlikely champion of civil rights. Where he grew up—the border state of Missouri—segregation was accepted and largely unquestioned. Both his maternal and paternal grandparents had owned slaves, and his mother, victimized by Yankee forces, railed against Abraham Lincoln for the remainder of her ninety-four years. When Truman assumed the presidency on April 12, 1945, Michael R. Gardner points out, Washington, DC, in many ways resembled Cape Town, South Africa, under apartheid rule circa 1985.

Truman’s background notwithstanding, Gardner shows that it was Harry Truman—not Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, or John F. Kennedy—who energized the modern civil rights movement, a movement that basically had stalled since Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves. Gardner recounts Truman’s public and private actions regarding black Americans. He analyzes speeches, private conversations with colleagues, the executive orders that shattered federal segregation policies, and the appointments of like-minded civil rights activists to important positions. Among those appointments was the first black federal judge in the continental United States.

            

One of Gardner’s essential and provocative points is that the Frederick Moore Vinson Supreme Court—a court significantly shaped by Truman—provided the legal basis for the nationwide integration that Truman could not get through the Congress. Challenging the myth that the civil rights movement began with Brown v. Board of Education under Chief Justice Earl Warren, Gardner contends that the life-altering civil rights rulings by the Vinson Court provided the necessary legal framework for the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Gardner characterizes Truman’s evolution from a man who grew up in a racist household into a president willing to put his political career at mortal risk by actively supporting the interests of black Americans.

Genres: Presidents, American History, History, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2002

Reviews

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with an aspect of the Truman presidency that is often overlooked. Most of the attention is paid to foreign affairs, the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine or the economy.
Truman did much for the cause of civil rights despite the opposition of a hostile Congress. Troubled by the reports of violence against returning African American veterans, led Truman to establish a commission to investigate racism in America. Made up of prominent whites and blacks, it issued a report entitled “ To Secure These Rights.” The report documented the sad state of discrimination in the country. This lead Truman to issue a ten point Civil Rights program to Congress. With the opposition of southern Democrats and Republicans the program went nowhere. This didn’t stop Truman. He was the first president to address a national convention of the NAACP. He then began to issue Executive Orders to accomplish an end to segregation. One order integrated the federal work force and stopped discrimination in hiring and promotions. Another order integrated the armed forces. Here again he met stiff resistance but was successful. After the Korean War began, Truman issued an order to stop discrimination in hiring in defense contractors.
The area in which I was the least aware was the role of the Supreme Court under Truman. He made four appointments to the Court, including Chief Justice Fred Vinson. Also appointed was Tom Clark his former Attorney General. This Court issued four important decisions that struck down restrictive covenants in housing, struck down segregated graduate and law schools and segregated dining on trains. All these decisions were unanimous and began the process of dismantling Plessy decision of 1896. Many believe that these cases led to the Brown decision in 1954. Truman also had his Justice Department file amicus curiae briefs in many civil rights cases.
He made two big campaign speeches in Harlem, 1948 and 1952, spoke at the graduation at Howard University and stayed for the whole ceremony. He kept calling for civil rights legislation even in 1948 when it led to the split of the Democratic Party. Most remarkable was that all these things were done with no outside pressure. There were no riots, most people were not concerned with civil rights and civil rights groups were in their infancy. The Truman record was remarkable.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Joe Scarborough's "Saving Freedom" I decided to read this book about Truman. While Scarborough concentrated on foreign policy, Gardner provides an interesting work on part of Truman's domestic policy. In doing so he reveals the 33rd President's desire to do what is right regardless of the political fallout. He faced a recalcitrant congress of racist Republicans and Southern Democrats when he proposed equal rights for all (an allegedly pillar of American Democracy). Knowing he could not get legislation passed he used Executive Orders to integrate the Federal Government and Military and using his court appointments judiciously. Some of his actions took place 100 days before the 1948 election even though he knew it would cost him the segregationist South. As I read this book I gained a different view of other presidents who did not have the integrity or courage of the only modern President without a college diploma.

[Joe Desmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. Most interesting was the role of the Supreme Court (four justices selected by Truman) in civil rights rulings that led to the 1954 Brown ruling. Truman’s use of Executive Orders and the Supreme Court to advance civil rights when Congress was unwilling is historically significant. The contrast between how the Supreme Court advanced Truman’s forward thinking agenda is in stark contrast to how the current Supreme Court is looking backwards in its rulings.

His selection criteria for the Justices is an interesting story in itself.

Truman’s understanding of the importance of civil rights for all Americans in our credibility as a world power is an important lesson.

[Karen]

* Understanding Oppression: African American Rights (Then and Now)

Given his background, President Truman was an unlikely champion of civil rights. #civilrights #government #history #politics

[Monte Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not think this was well written, but the information is enlightening. While I knew Truman integrated the Armed Forces and did try to do some other things in the Civil Rights area, I was not aware of the extent nor the effectiveness that he was able to do for equal rights. The Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts in 1964 and 1965 were pretty much what he proposed in 1947. He was also able to integrate federal buildings and jobs. Furthermore, strong Supreme Court decisions were given during his Presidency that paved the way for Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954. I always thought a lot of President Truman but this book made me admire him even more.

[Kirk Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

GW talks of moral courage but Truman lived it. Truman made the tough decisions that made him a president with very low ratings. Yet, history has shone brightly on Truman. This book casts illumination on the unlikelyhood of a man from MO with ancestors whom own slaves, would take the strong stands that Truman made. Today's world needs more common sense leaders.