Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Praises Eisenhower Following Senate Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957

Date: August 30, 1957

Created By: Adam Clayton Powell

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency, Civil Rights

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: E. Frederic Morrow Records, Box 9, Civil Rights Bill; NAID #12167069

This August 30, 1957 press release records a statement by Democratic Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. of New York following Senate passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Powell, one of the most prominent Black members of Congress, strongly praises President Dwight D. Eisenhower for supporting the legislation. Despite belonging to the opposing political party, Powell declares that the bill’s passage vindicated his support for Eisenhower and describes the legislation as a major step forward after decades of political inaction on civil rights.

Powell recalls a personal conversation with Eisenhower on October 11, 1956, during which the president promised to pursue civil rights legislation through several specific actions. According to Powell, Eisenhower pledged to call for the bill in his State of the Union message, clearly explain its provisions, have the attorney general press congressional leaders for early consideration, and encourage Republican leaders to fight for passage. Powell declares that Eisenhower “kept his word to me 100 percent.” He contrasts Eisenhower’s support with that of Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, arguing that opposition from pro-Stevenson senators had weakened the legislation.

Powell also praises Representative Emanuel Celler for his leadership and endorses Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign to register one million Black voters in the South, promising to assist the effort personally. He urges Black Americans to judge political candidates by their positions on issues rather than automatically supporting either political party.

The document provides a valuable example of the bipartisan politics surrounding the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and Powell’s unusually strong public praise of Eisenhower’s role in securing the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.