Segregationist Thought and Strategy: The Case of Senator James O. Eastland

In the 1950s and 1960s, U.S. Senator James O. Eastland of Mississippi became the quintessential symbol of southern resistance to racial integration. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eastland effectively blocked dozens of bills designed to end segregation. In Mississippi, he was the head of a statewide network aimed at defending white supremacy. My paper examines the different strategies Eastland employed at both the federal and state level to guard the traditional southern way of life, and how these strategies evolved over time. Once massive resistance proved to be impracticable, segregationist politicians had to find methods to accommodate to new social relations without abandoning white privilege. In contrast with his political ally Strom Thurmond, Eastland did not abandon the Democratic Party during the sixties. The senator preferred to work behind the scenes instead, using his power as chairman and closeness to the White House to further his political agenda.