This week, the LBJ Presidential Library Civil Rights Summit marks the fiftieth
anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the first of Johnson’s civil rights
landmarks, an act of bi-partisanship Johnson called “an American bill.” Our goal
is not only to celebrate America’s progress in a half a century, but, just as
LBJ would have wanted, to address the civil rights issues of our times.
We are honored that we will have on hand a number of eminent guests who will
shed light on those issues, including heroes of the Civil Rights Movement of the
1960s, and those who, along with them, are making a difference today.
We are further honored to welcome the thirty-ninth, forty-second and
forty-third Presidents—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
respectively—whose administrations furthered the cause of civil rights
domestically while championing human rights and freedom abroad.
Finally, we are honored to welcome the President and First Lady of the United
States, as the Honorable Barack Obama delivers the Summit’s keynote address.
Five years ago last January, history shined on President Barack Obama as he became the
forty-forth President and the first African-American to achieve the nation’s
highest office, the fulfillment, to be sure, of the distant dreams of Abraham
Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson.
From White House blog
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