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===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 and, eventually during the 1960s, trying 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 and, eventually during the 1960s, trying to halt the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]] before the Senate was able to enact cloture.
Despite having been a [[white supremacist]] and fierce opponent of equal rights for blacks, which he never repudiated, his niece Sally Russell insisted that the senator had maintained decent relationships with blacks who worked for him,<ref name="The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece">Hohmann, James (August 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/08/28/daily-202-dick-russell-was-a-racist-but-he-was-much-more-than-that-says-niece/5b84a7d91b326b3f31919dfb/ The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece]. ''Washington Post''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> adding on that she thought he "had a very deep courteous attitude, which probably came from being raised in the South."
==Legacy==
==Legacy==