Perhaps the largest question that lays heavy on the minds of many was whether or not Thurmond was a racist. He never apologized for his segregationist candidacy in 1948. But he also financially supported his black daughter throughout college and for the remainder of his life. He eliminated the racially biased poll tax in his home state, but he also mounted the nation's longest filibuster (over 24 hours) against the 1957 civil rights bill. He developed an intimate relationship with African-American Armstrong Williams, and yet remained emotionally distant from his own black daughter and grandchildren.
Strom gives the reader an in-depth look into a man who was full of contradictions. Although many paint the late Senator in broad racist terms (often deservingly), those who want to examine the motivations and inconsistencies within the context of the man rather than the myth, will get a much more ambivalent picture. This biography will challenge conventional notions about Thurmond, and hopefully encourage people to examine the life of the longest living, longest serving US Senator.
Strom gives the reader an in-depth look into a man who was full of contradictions. Although many paint the late Senator in broad racist terms (often deservingly), those who want to examine the motivations and inconsistencies within the context of the man rather than the myth, will get a much more ambivalent picture. This biography will challenge conventional notions about Thurmond, and hopefully encourage people to examine the life of the longest living, longest serving US Senator.
