Changes

===Civil rights opposition===

===Civil rights opposition===

Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, had led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislation ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican anti-[[lynching]] bills during the presidency of [[FDR]], where he once managed to block a 1935 anti-lynching bill for six days to kill it.<ref>Little, Becky (January 31, 2019). [https://www.history.com/news/fdr-eleanor-roosevelt-anti-lynching-bill Why FDR Didn’t Support Eleanor Roosevelt’s Anti-Lynching Campaign]. ''History.com''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Three decades during the 1960s, he tried to halt the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]] before the Senate was able to enact cloture.

Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, had led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislation ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican anti-[[lynching]] bills during the presidency of [[FDR]], where he utilized a mastery of Senate procedural matters to block a 1935 anti-lynching bill for six days, killing it.<ref>Little, Becky (January 31, 2019). [https://www.history.com/news/fdr-eleanor-roosevelt-anti-lynching-bill Why FDR Didn’t Support Eleanor Roosevelt’s Anti-Lynching Campaign]. ''History.com''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Three decades during the 1960s, he tried to halt the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]] before the Senate was able to enact cloture.

An advocate and signatory of the [[Southern Manifesto]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150926013722/http://sti.clemson.edu/component/content/article/192-general-info/790-1956-qsouthern-manifestoq 1956 "Southern Manifesto"]. ''Clemson Strom Thurmond Institute''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Sen. Russell in 1957 successfully helped water down the [[1957 Civil Rights Act]] legislation along with then-[[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who removed the stringent protections from the original Herbert Brownell text in Title III and transforming it into a far weaker version of what it originally had been.<ref>DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). [https://kennedysandking.com/reviews/the-kennedys-and-civil-rights-how-the-msm-continues-to-distort-history-part-2 The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2]. ''Kennedys and King''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Johnson had previously hatched a deal with Russell (as well as [[Strom Thurmond]], who broke it) that had the important sections of the bill be removed, he wouldn't filibuster it when it came up on the Senate for a roll call vote. It should be furthermore noted that Russell had been a mentor to Johnson.<ref>[https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/lbj-and-richard-russell-on-vietnam LBJ and Richard Russell on Vietnam]. ''Miller Center''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref>

An advocate and signatory of the [[Southern Manifesto]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150926013722/http://sti.clemson.edu/component/content/article/192-general-info/790-1956-qsouthern-manifestoq 1956 "Southern Manifesto"]. ''Clemson Strom Thurmond Institute''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Sen. Russell in 1957 successfully helped water down the [[1957 Civil Rights Act]] legislation along with then-[[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who removed the stringent protections from the original Herbert Brownell text in Title III and transforming it into a far weaker version of what it originally had been.<ref>DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). [https://kennedysandking.com/reviews/the-kennedys-and-civil-rights-how-the-msm-continues-to-distort-history-part-2 The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2]. ''Kennedys and King''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Johnson had previously hatched a deal with Russell (as well as [[Strom Thurmond]], who broke it) that had the important sections of the bill be removed, he wouldn't filibuster it when it came up on the Senate for a roll call vote. It should be furthermore noted that Russell had been a mentor to Johnson.<ref>[https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/lbj-and-richard-russell-on-vietnam LBJ and Richard Russell on Vietnam]. ''Miller Center''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref>