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Thurmond joined fellow racist Southern senators [[J. William Fulbright]], [[Richard Russell, Jr.]], and several others in blocking the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]], nearly killing the bill until the filibuster had finally been broken and the legislation managed to pass.<ref>https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/civil_rights/filibuster_debate.htm Civil Rights Act of 1964</ref>

Thurmond joined fellow racist Southern senators [[J. William Fulbright]], [[Richard Russell, Jr.]], and several others in blocking the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]], nearly killing the bill until the filibuster had finally been broken and the legislation managed to pass.<ref>https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/civil_rights/filibuster_debate.htm Civil Rights Act of 1964</ref>

Like many [[New Deal]]ers, Thurmond by the late 1960s was disenchanted with [[big government]], the [[War on Poverty]], and the [[Great Society]]'s attack on Black families and traditional values, which led to his defection to the Republicans in 1964. By the 1970s, poverty emerged victorious in the great national struggle, with [[stagflation]], no growth, high unemployment to achieve equality among races, crumbling family structure and rising abortion rates were the hallmarks of the [[Marxist]] utopia that Democrats were seeking to build. Many New Deal era Democrats had already left the party.

Like many [[New Deal]]ers, Thurmond by the late 1960s was disenchanted with [[big government]], the [[War on Poverty]], and the [[Great Society]]'s attack on Black families and traditional values, which led to his defection to the Republicans in 1964. By the 1970s, poverty emerged victorious in the great national struggle, with [[stagflation]], no growth, high unemployment to achieve equality among races, crumbling family structure and rising abortion rates were the hallmarks of the [[Marxist]] utopia that Democrats were seeking to build. Many New Deal era Democrats had already left the party.  

At Thurmond's one hundredth birthday party, Senate Majority Leader [[Trent Lott]] humored Thurmond by saying if he had been elected before Democrat presidents led the [[United States]] into the Korean and [[Vietnam War]]s, "we wouldn't have had these problems all these years." [[Deceit|Liberals]] and [[race baiter]]s were in an uproar, demanding Lott not only apologize, but resign from the Senate. This politically motivated pressure and distortion of the remarks, eventually caused Lott to resign his position as Majority Leader.  But no one attacked Thurmond, who remained in the Senate.

After he left the party, he eventually dropped his segregationism. He hired black staffers and was honored by an organization of South Carolina’s black mayors for his service to their communities in 1972, earning endorsements from 10 out of 11 of them. Some civil rights leaders praised him for his efforts to help Black South Carolinians. He voted to renew the Voting Rights Act in 1982 and for a federal holiday to honor King in 1983 and he played a large role in ending [[Jesse Helms]]'s filibuster of it. He also supported the [[Civil Rights Act of 1991]]. In his last campaign for U.S. Senate in 1996, Thurmond received 20 percent of the Black vote, a high for Republicans in the state during that time.<ref>https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/was-strom-thurmond-a-racist-two-of-his-biographers-to-discuss-his-legacy/ar-BB18Aims</ref>

After Thurmond's death, it was revealed that he had fathered a child with a woman in his family's employ.  The woman he fathered the child with was an [[African-American]] domestic worker in the Thurmond family household.  She was 16 and Thurmond was 22. [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=SR1948]  Thurmond and the child did not meet until she was 16 years old and she was unaware of the fact he was her father until that time. After that meeting, Thurmond (who had always privately given financial support to the mother and child), did take a more personal interest in her life. His daughter spoke affectionately of her father, and pointedly told reporters she and her mother had never held a grudge or ill feelings toward Thurmond.

 

After Thurmond's death, it was revealed that he had fathered a child with a woman in his family's employ.  The woman he fathered the child with was an [[African-American]] domestic worker in the Thurmond family household.  She was 16 and Thurmond was 22. [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=SR1948]  Thurmond and the child did not meet until she was 16 years old and she was unaware of the fact he was her father until that time. After that meeting, Thurmond (who had always privately given financial support to the mother and child), did take a more personal interest in her life. His daughter spoke affectionately of her father, and pointedly told reporters she and her mother had never held a grudge or ill feelings toward Thurmond.

Strom Thurmond was married twice. His first wife, Jean Crouch, died of cancer in 1960.  He married his second wife, Nancy Moore, in 1968 and remained married until his death. She worked on his staff prior to their marriage.

Strom Thurmond was married twice. His first wife, Jean Crouch, died of cancer in 1960.  He married his second wife, Nancy Moore, in 1968 and remained married until his death. She worked on his staff prior to their marriage.