The Struggle to Pass the 1957 Civil Rights Act
Volume Five, 1955–1957

The 1957 Civil Rights Act was the first successful lobbying campaign by an organization dedicated to that purpose since Reconstruction. Building on the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the law marked a turning point for the legislative branch in the struggle to accord Black citizens full equality under the Constitution.

The Struggle to Pass the 1960 Civil Rights Act
Volume Six, 1959–1960

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 attempted to rectify loopholes in the 1957 Civil Rights Act that had enabled southern states to continue disenfranchising Black voters and, in Texas, Mexican Americans. The legislation called for federal inspection of voter registration polls and introduced penalties for obstructing a person from registering to vote.

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 attempted to rectify loopholes in the 1957 Civil Rights Act that had enabled southern states to continue disenfranchising Black voters and, in Texas, Mexican Americans. The legislation called for federal inspection of voter registration polls and introduced penalties for obstructing a person from registering to vote.

“Clarence Mitchell Jr. for decades waged in the halls of Congress a stubborn, resourceful and historic campaign for social justice. The integrity of this ‘101st Senator’ earned him the respect of friends and adversaries alike. His brilliant advocacy helped translate into law the protests and aspirations of millions consigned for too long to second-class citizenship. The hard-won fruits of his labors have made America a better and stronger nation.” — President Jimmy Carter