President Harry S. Truman’s background did not suggest he would become a champion of civil rights. But, for this soldier-turned-president, the abuse and brutal lynchings of black WWII veterans were a call to action. Believing in the “brotherhood of all men before the law,” he became the first president to authorize a civil rights committee, speak before the NAACP, and call for anti-lynching laws and an end to poll taxes. When Congress failed to act, President Truman desegregated the military and the civilian government workforce. Explore this historic turn in the nation’s struggle to safeguard constitutional rights in the newest exhibit at the Box Gallery, presented in partnership with the Truman Library Institute.
Opening Reception: Wednesday, November 8 | 9:45 - 10:45 a.m.
Free & Open to the Public
Cover image: President Truman shakes hands with Air Force Staff Sergeant Edward Williams, October 12, 1950.
