Destiny of Democracy

President Lyndon B. Johnson played a monumental role in Americas quest for civil rights. The legacy of those efforts reached a crescendo from April 8 through 10, 2014, as the LBJ Presidential Library hosted a historic Civil Rights Summit to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. A host of luminariesincluding President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold the nations highest office, and former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Cartercame to the LBJ Library to recognize the progress made in the countrys long, often troubled, journey toward civil rights. We are not caretakers of the past, LBJ said as president, but are charged with the construction of tomorrow. Accordingly, he wanted his presidential library to be a springboard to the future, a place that would be not only a repository of things past, but a forum to explore the issues of our day. In that spirit, Destiny of Democracy reflects on Johnsons legacy of civil rights and commemorates the historic summit. Heroes of the civil rights movement shared the summits spotlight with those who are making a difference today. The three former presidents and President Obama also weighed in, each praising the courage and conviction manifested by Johnson in carrying out his civil rights agenda, but also warning that while the laws he brought to bear are in place, there is still work to be done.