The
Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. President Johnson had provided support for the bill in the face of considerable opposition in the Senate.
President Johnson asked for support from Senator Richard Russell of Georgia, the leader of the Southern Democrats in the Senate, who opposed the bill. This image shows LBJ and Senator Russell in the White House Cabinet Room.
Standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall, President Lyndon Baines Johnson used his imposing stature as one tool in his own brand of political persuasion, known as the Johnson "treatment." LBJ used his "treatment," as seen in this photograph, to intimidate, badger, flatter, or plead in order to achieve his political goals.
This primary source comes from the Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection.
National Archives Identifier:
192493Full Citation: Senator Richard Russell and President Lyndon B. Johnson; 12/7/1963; Johnson White House Photographs, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969; Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection; Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, TX. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/senator-russell-president-johnson, May 3, 2024]