President Barack Obama honored
the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act Thursday, praising
former President Lyndon B. Johnson's work to fulfill the promise of American
equality.
Speaking
at a ceremony in Austin, Texas, Obama said he has "lived out the promise
of LBJ's efforts" by serving as the country's first black president.
Obama
added that even with the power of the presidency, Johnson's civil rights work
showed he never forgot growing up in the face of poverty and racial hatred.
"He
believed that their plight was his plight too, that his freedom ultimately was
wrapped up in theirs, and that making their lives better was what the hell the
presidency was for," Obama said.
Obama
also commended Johnson for his ability to push through legislation in Congress,
even in the face of opposition from within the Democratic party.
"The
story of America is a story of progress, however slow, however
incomplete," Obama said.
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