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Calvin Coolidge and Civil Rights—The Rest of the Story
The Blaze ^ | May 16, 2013 | David Pietrusza

Posted on 05/16/2013 7:54:31 AM PDT by statestreet

Recently, Politico ran an article piquantly entitled “Calvin Coolidge, civil rights pioneer?”

One might surmise such an opinion piece might be penned by Amity Shlaes, author of the recent best-selling biography of Silent Cal—but even more remarkably it had been authored not by the ubiquitous Ms. Shlaes but by Kurt L. Schmoke, the black former Democratic mayor of Baltimore.

Schmoke, taking note of Senator Rand Paul’s April visit to Howard University, reminded readers of Coolidge’s June 6, 1924 commencement address there. “Coolidge gave the commencement . . .,” noted Schmoke, now vice president and general counsel at the school, “and signaled a significant change in progressive race relations. In reading his words it must be recalled that he spoke at a time when separate but equal was the law of the land, when lynchings trumped due process in criminal cases involving black men, and when the most recent Democratic president, Woodrow Wilson, had praised a film which glorified the Ku Klux Klan.”

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: civilrights; coolidge; elections; politico

1 posted on 05/16/2013 7:54:31 AM PDT by statestreet
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To: statestreet; cripplecreek

2 posted on 05/16/2013 8:03:04 AM PDT by KC_Lion (Build the America you want to live in at your address, and keep looking up.-Sarah Palin)
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To: statestreet

One more reason why Calvin Coolidge was the greatest president we ever had, except for possibly George Washington.


3 posted on 05/16/2013 8:11:49 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: who_would_fardels_bear
Clever too. Possibly apocryphal, but supposedly a lady came up to him at a dinner and said "Someone just made a bet with me that I could not get you to say three words". His reply: "You lose".

Until really the 1960's, the "Great Society", and the purchase of the Black community by the social welfare system, at bargain rates compared with slavery, the Republican Party was always the party of equal rights for black citizens. If one correctly defines "equal" they still are.

4 posted on 05/16/2013 8:26:12 AM PDT by katana (Just my opinions)
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