Antisemitism in the Heartland: Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights
As mayor of Minneapolis in the mid-1940s, Hubert Humphrey transformed the city from being nationally notorious for its antisemitism and anti-Black racism to being nationally acclaimed for its concrete progress on civil rights. How Humphrey accomplished what he did is both dramatic as a part of history and instructive amid the present upsurge in antisemitism and racism. Professor Samuel G. Freedman, Columbia University, will discuss his new book, which examines this obscure chapter of Humphrey’s life, foretelling his impact as President Lyndon B. Johnson’s right hand in pushing through the landmark civil rights laws of the 1960s.
Free and open to the public, “Antisemitism in the Heartland: Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights” is presented by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, the talk is the Ruth Ellen Steinman Bloustein and Edward J. Bloustein Memorial Lecture, cosponsored by the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.