American History Magazine just published a special issue about Eisenhower's impact on the world. First, in the interest of full disclosure, I'll state that I think Ike was one of the handful of best presidents in our history and is certainly in the running for the best and most effective presidents in my lifetime. My reasons are many. But i'll just focus here on Ike and civil rights.
I understand that during the time segregation was legal and routinely practiced in the country, Ike followed along. (I'll leave open the question of whether it was Ike had any authority to desegregate the military, a criticism often directed at him). I have often noted that Ike's contribution to civil rights was important and he accomplished that with great leadership skill. His use of the 101st Airborne to enforce a desegregation order was gutsy. Ike was equally aggressive with enforcing the desegregation orders in D.C. and throughout the South. David Nichols wrote one of the Ike pieces in the magazine and he discussed Ike's civil rights record. Ike specifically picked Earl Warren knowing that he was an anti-segregationist and that he would be on the Court when Brown vs. The Board was to be argued and decided. Ike made Warren a recess appointment knowing the political problems with his nomination. When Brown II came before the court, concerning the speed of desecration, Ike personally edited the government's brief in support of rapid desegregation, SCOTUS backed off and entered a slower paced order. Under Ike's command, the D.C.'s school desegregation was done in a week. All of this caused many of the civil rights leaders of the time to send notes of thanks and encouragement to Ike. One thing Nichols mentioned that I didn't previously understand was that Ike intentionally avoided nominating known segregationists to the federal bench. He packed the Supreme Court with anti-segregationists and did the same in the lower courts. Ike did his best to de-politicize the judicial appointments by turning over the vetting to the DOJ and the American Bar Association. All of this had a significant impact on desegregation in the United States.
The interesting part. According to Nichols, Kennedy and Johnson returned to appointing segregationists to the bench in 1961. As a result the civil rights movement moved from the courts to the streets and we ended up with marches, fire hoses, and violence. The violence reached a crescendo in l963. Kennedy and Johnson then started pushing legislation. Kennedy of course was assassinated in November of that year.
I understand that during the time segregation was legal and routinely practiced in the country, Ike followed along. (I'll leave open the question of whether it was Ike had any authority to desegregate the military, a criticism often directed at him). I have often noted that Ike's contribution to civil rights was important and he accomplished that with great leadership skill. His use of the 101st Airborne to enforce a desegregation order was gutsy. Ike was equally aggressive with enforcing the desegregation orders in D.C. and throughout the South. David Nichols wrote one of the Ike pieces in the magazine and he discussed Ike's civil rights record. Ike specifically picked Earl Warren knowing that he was an anti-segregationist and that he would be on the Court when Brown vs. The Board was to be argued and decided. Ike made Warren a recess appointment knowing the political problems with his nomination. When Brown II came before the court, concerning the speed of desecration, Ike personally edited the government's brief in support of rapid desegregation, SCOTUS backed off and entered a slower paced order. Under Ike's command, the D.C.'s school desegregation was done in a week. All of this caused many of the civil rights leaders of the time to send notes of thanks and encouragement to Ike. One thing Nichols mentioned that I didn't previously understand was that Ike intentionally avoided nominating known segregationists to the federal bench. He packed the Supreme Court with anti-segregationists and did the same in the lower courts. Ike did his best to de-politicize the judicial appointments by turning over the vetting to the DOJ and the American Bar Association. All of this had a significant impact on desegregation in the United States.
The interesting part. According to Nichols, Kennedy and Johnson returned to appointing segregationists to the bench in 1961. As a result the civil rights movement moved from the courts to the streets and we ended up with marches, fire hoses, and violence. The violence reached a crescendo in l963. Kennedy and Johnson then started pushing legislation. Kennedy of course was assassinated in November of that year.
