President johnson and his interaction with dr. Martin luther king, jr. , Hubert Humphrey and robert kennedy. In a half hour congressional members mark the anniversary with a ceremony. It awards the congressional gold medal to his wife and Coretta Scott king. After that don richy discusses the congressional debate and passage of the Civil Rights Act with former cbs correspondent roger mudd and former reporter andy glass. Later from the National Constitution center, author tom perdom talks about his book, two parties, two president s and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. American history all weekend every weekend and week nights in primetime during congressional recesses on cspan 3. Commenting on the anniversary of the signing president obama said, the Civil Rights Act transformed the concepts of justice equality and democracy for generations to come and brought us closer to making real the declaration at the heart of our founding, that we are all created equal. Now the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Armies whose idea time has come. It was. The chamber was absolutely jammed. The gallery filled, standing room only, no staff allowed on the floor. Just 100 senators. As the vote proceeded, it was silent like a tomb, and when John Williams of delaware cast the deciding vote, everyone, there was a corporate exhaling of breath. It was so tense that everybody literally held their breath until that last vote was counted, and in a blink, Richard Russell was on his feet demanding to know what the hell wed do next. Just to think about it, you know how hard it is to get 60 for todays senate, this was 67, which was a much higher bar, and there was clearly a block of people who were against it, and it was one by one, president Lyndon Johnson got a few, and one i remember writing about was jack miller, the other senator from iowa, i think it was dubuque, and there was an archbishop who called him saying if you dont vote for cloture, well excommunicate you. I mean this was really today, Martin Luth
A minute to tell you what that law means to americans. 188 years ago this week, a small band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom, not only for political independence, but for personal liberty, not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice in the affairs of the time. That struggle was a turning point in our history. In far corners of distant continents, the ideal of those american patriots still shape the struggles of men who hunger for freedom. This is a proud time. This is a proud triumph. Yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning. From the minutemen at concord to the soldiers in vietnam, each generation has been equal to that trust. Americans of every race and color have died in battle to protect our freedom. Americans of every rac
History tv. All weekend, every weekend, on cspan3. To join the conversation, like us on facebook on cspan historyhistory. Each week, relel america brings you films of the past. Up next, the entire 26 minute meet the press interview from 1965. Mr. Brooks this is ned brooks inviting you to meet the press. Meet the press is a Public Affairs presentation of nbc news. Mr. Brooks our guest today on meet the press is dr. Martin luther king, jr. , who led the civil rights march from selma to montgomery, alabama. Dr. King, who is the winner of the nobel peace prize, is president of the southern christian leadership conference. He is in san francisco, where he delivered a sermon this morning for bishop pike at the grace cathedral. Our panel of reporters is in washington, d. C. , and we will have the first question now from lawrence e. Spivak, permanent member of the meet the press panel. Mr. Spivak dr. King, former president truman was quoted by the a. P. As saying that the march from selma and
Mr. Spivak dr. King, former president truman was quoted by the a. P. As saying that the march from selma and this was his word was silly, and cant accomplish a darn thing except to attract attention. There have been two murders, many beatings and a federal expenditure for troops of about 300,000. Would you say that what the march accomplished was worth that cost . Dr. King well, first, i would say that the march was not silly at all. I would think that the march did more to dramatize the indignities and the injustices that negro people continue to face in the st many other sections of the south more than anything else. I think it was the most powerful and dramatic civil rights protest that has ever taken place in the south, and i think it well justified the cost that we put in it. Of course, we are sorry that a death occurred immediately after the march, and i am sure that all people of goodwill are outraged and in deep sorrow as a result of the death of mrs. Liuzzo, but after all, we