The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom
Senators Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) and Strom Thurmond (D-SC) Debate the Civil Rights Bill
As southern senators opposed to the civil rights bill filibustered to prevent it from reaching the Senate floor for consideration, two senators on opposite sides of the issue participated in a live televised debate—Senator Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978), Democrat of Minnesota, the majority whip and floor manager of the fight to pass the bill; and Senator Strom Thurmond (1902–2003), then Democrat of South Carolina, who was fervently opposed to the bill. The debate was broadcast on March 18, 1964, on CBS Reports: Filibuster—Birth Struggle of a Law.
Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Courtesy of CBS News