>> I did some googling, and it seems that the only source I could find linked to this was from an unofficial biography.
That book is the one source on this, and it was purportedly said aboard Air Force One to a couple of people. But it is probably an accurate quote, given he used the term N*r frequently in similar contexts.
From that same article:
Johnson defended the Supreme Court appointment of the famous Thurgood Marshall, rather than a black judge less identified with the civil rights cause, by saying to a staff member, "Son, when I appoint a n-----r to the court, I want everyone to know he's a n-----r."
Pretty much the same concept, really.
Here he uses the term in the Oval Office.
youtube.com
Later in that thread, the usual excuse-making shows up:
"The more I consider the OP's quote in light of my own time listening to the recordings at the LBJ library at the University of Texas, the more I am convinced that LBJ is putting on an act to these two southern governors to quiet their rancor over his pursuit of the CRA."
So, somehow using the slur while putting on an act would be better.
Let's face it, the term was everywhere at that time. North and South. But I wonder whether, e.g., Eisenhower would have said it? Or Nixon? Or anyone sense? I doubt it. |
