CBA Record

Christmas tree that would never become law.’” Katzenbach began the process of strat- egizing how to get a bill through Congress and onto Kennedy’s desk for signature. Risen discusses the pushback from House and Senate members and paring back of language, with Katzenbach navigating the chambers. When Kennedy was assas- sinated, President Johnson said, “Let Us Continue.” In his speech to the nation on November 23, 1963, he paid tribute to Kennedy, stating, “’No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy’s memory than the ear- liest passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long.” He asked Katzenbach to get it done. One of the key members of Congress whom Katzenbach and the administra- tion worked with was U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen. Southern Democratic Senators engaged in a filibuster that would last 54 days to block passage of the bill. Republi- can Dirksen, along with three other sena- tors, introduced slightly weaker substitute legislation. The substitute bill passed, and the House-Senate conference committee adopted the Senate version. On May 19, after the conference, Dirk- sen called a meeting of reporters and gave “a little sermon”. Responding to a question about why he had changed his views and supported the bill, “he said that ‘no army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come.’” He then worked to obtain the Republican votes required to obtain cloture. On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, an act that “revolutionized American society by placing the federal government undeniably and forcefully on the side of African Americans.” Risen has produced a detailed, infor- mative narrative and an important read. It is recommended to all readers as a reflection of what Congress and theWhite House are capable of when determined to make positive change. On April 30, the CBA co-hosted a gala event with other bar associations to reflect on the importance of this Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and why they remain relevant to our times.

SUMMARY JUDGMENTS

REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS!

The Bill of the Century

legislation’s rough road to passage. Risen opens with a few vignettes of the stories of African Americans on July 3, 1964, being able to frequent public places that a day before were off limits to them. He also describes some of the resistance that ensued. Risen acknowledges the important contributions of President Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. to the enactment of the landmark legislation. At the same time, he reminds us that these two men had a broad supporting cast in Washington, DC and throughout the nation. He also reflects on the complexities of the political process, national opinions and the legisla- tive process and reconciliations that take place between the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Chicago Connections Two people with Chicago connections played large roles in the bill eventually becoming law–Nicholas Katzenbach and Everett Dirksen. Katzenbach was a pro- fessor of law at the University of Chicago from 1956 to 1960, when he became an Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel. In 1962, he became Deputy Attorney General. In that role, he worked on a number of civil rights matters, includ- ing the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” incident at the University of Alabama. Risen recounts that by mid-1963, the Justice Department leadership, including Katzenbach, “had concluded that compre- hensive federal civil rights legislation was now imperative.” The challenge for the administration was how far any legislation could go and still pass. Katzenbach, after a meeting with Robert Kennedy and others, noted “’We needed a law with a workable public accommodation section, not a

The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act By Clay Risen Bloomsbury Press, 2014

Reviewed by Daniel A. Cotter T his year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act was initially introduced by President John F. Kennedy. Upon his assassination, Presi- dent Lyndon B. Johnson recommitted to passage of a civil rights bill. It is one of the landmark pieces of legislation passed in modern times. In The Bill Of The Century, author Clay Risen gives the reader a close look at the Daniel A. Cotter is Vice Presi- dent, General & Secretary at Fidelity Life Association, and a member of the CBA Record Editorial Board.

52 APRIL/MAY 2015