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Klansman on the Court: Justice Hugo Black's 1937 Radio Address to the Nation

2003; Routledge; Volume: 89; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00335630308177

1479-5779

Martín Carcasson, James Arnt Aune,

Law, Rights, and Freedoms

Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black, known for being a liberal First Amendment absolutist and a courageous defender of individual freedom, is considered one of the best justices ever to serve on the nation's high court. This essay examines the events surrounding Justice Black's controversial nomination to the Supreme Court, focusing on his nationally broadcast radio address on October 1, 1937, to answer charges that the then Alabama Senator was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Utilizing archival research from both the Franklin Roosevelt and Hugo Black papers, the analysis focuses on how Black's rhetorical philosophy and his adaptation to multiple audiences resulted in a remarkable "minimalist" address that, despite first impressions, ultimately contributed to his success in pacifying the situation.