Laughlin McDonald, 06 February 2012.
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@ Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
McDonald, Laughlin
Description
Laughlin McDonald discusses growing up in Winnsboro, South Carolina. He recalls the segregated South and reflects on his decision to attend Columbia University. McDonald discusses being drafted and serving at Fort Jackson. He recalls his time in infantry school and in officer training. McDonald recalls attending law school in South Carolina and subsequently at the University of Virginia. He discusses his intention of becoming an attorney but ultimately working with the ACLU and Charles "Chuck" Morgan. McDonald recalls being offered a job at the ACLU and recalls the history of the organization. He recalls his involvement in desegregating Southern juries, the process of selecting ACLU cases, and with the Reynolds v. Simms voting rights case. McDonald discusses how he was not involved in the Civil Rights Movement but recalls his impressions of Atlanta and Vernon Jordan and the Southern Rights Council. He comments on the state of the federal judiciary, the influence of politics on cases and the influence of the Civil rights acts on national politics. McDonald reflects on current voting methods and discusses sections 2 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act. He discusses reapportionment, gerrymandering, and voting ID requirements. McDonald reflects on the origin of his inspirations, his book Voting Rights Odyssey and the legacy of struggle for rights.Laughlin McDonald has been director of the Atlanta-based Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union since 1972. Prior to that he was in private practice and taught at the University of North Carolina Law School. He has...
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Short, Bob, 1932
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