--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On February 7, President Johnson met at…" description: "\"“On February 7, President Johnson met at the White House with five black leaders, including Frederick Douglass, who came to lobby for a civil rights bi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/ron-chernow-1189_civil-rights_on-february-7-president-johnson-met-at-t_1063613.png" --- # On February 7, President Johnson met at the White House… ![“On February 7, President Johnson met at the White House with five black leaders, including Frederick Douglass, who came to lobby for a civil rights bill. The black leaders were treated in a tasteless, abusive manner. After they shook hands with the president, their spokesman, George T. Downing…” quote by Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/ron-chernow-1189_civil-rights_on-february-7-president-johnson-met-at-t_1063613.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/ron-chernow-1189_civil-rights_on-february-7-president-johnson-met-at-t_1063613.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/ron-chernow-1189_civil-rights_on-february-7-president-johnson-met-at-t_1063613.png) > ““On February 7, President Johnson met at the White House with five black leaders, including Frederick Douglass, who came to lobby for a civil rights bill. The black leaders were treated in a tasteless, abusive manner. After they shook hands with the president, their spokesman, George T. Downing, said they hoped he would support voting rights for blacks, which elicited a bizarre, rambling monologue from Johnson. He admitted to having owned slaves, but boasted of never having sold one, as if that would somehow ingratiate him with his visitors. He presented himself as a kindly master who had been “their slave instead of their being mine.” To promote civil rights, Johnson went on, would “result in the extermination of one \[race\] or the other.”” [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Johnson’s attempt to appear sympathetic while boasting about slave ownership reveals a contradictory, self‑serving stance that undermines genuine support for civil rights. **In simple terms:** Johnson’s words expose hypocrisy and moral inconsistency. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge political double‑talk. Themes politics race hypocrisy leadership Mood critical analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - policy debates - educational curricula - public speeches - media analysis Key Concepts civil rights historical narrative political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about power dynamics? - How can we hold leaders accountable for contradictory statements? 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