LBJ Library Picks Piper - Rockdale Reporter

LBJ Library picks Piper

by Mike Brown - Reporter Editor

Rockdale Reporter - 2015-08-13

Keynotes 50 years of Voting Rights Act

The venerable LBJ Library in Austin has seen many speakers at events in its 44-year

history but never one like this.

Thursday morning, ninety-three-year old Rockdale native Susie Sansom Piper addressed a

crowd of dignitaries that included elected officials, friends, family members, and Luci

Baines Johnson — youngest daughter of the late president and his wife Lady Bird.

Occasion was to mark the 50th anniversary of the federal Voting Rights Act, which

President Johnson signed into law Aug. 6, 1965, in the U. S. Capitol.

POLL TAX — Mrs. Piper, retired Rockdale educator who has written 38 consecutive Black

History Month series for The Reporter, brought along a Milam County poll tax receipt,

dated Dec. 29, 1964, which was displayed prominently during her presentation.

“You had to pay the poll tax to vote,” she said. “It cost $1.75. You could feed a pretty

big family for several days on that.”

(At the time the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1965, only three states still required a

poll tax, Texas, Alabama and Virginia.)

Mrs. Piper, who was the final principal at Rockdale’s Aycock School before desegregation

in the mid-1960s, recalled that Rockdale’s teachers were expected to register, pay the

poll tax and vote.

“Oft times, we were, as teachers and employees of the school district, told who ‘the

preference’ was by the powers that be and were expected to cast our vote accordingly,”

she said.

Copies of the Rockdale poll tax receipt were made available to the crowd, which snapped

them up quickly as historical artifacts.

LBJ Library officials scrambled to make more.

REASONS — Mrs. Piper said the poll tax was one impediment to voting in the African-

American community before 1960s-era civil rights legislation.

“This amount could feed the average big family.

REASONS — Mrs. Piper said the poll tax was one impediment to voting in the African-

American community before 1960s-era civil rights legislation.

“This amount could feed the average big family for many days, back then,” she said.

Another was the migrant nature of work.

“During those days many had to follow seasonal work in the cotton fields just to survive.

“Many children did not get to enroll in school at the beginning of the year due to the

work schedule,” Mrs. Piper said.

Transportation to the polls was another problem, she said.

Mrs. Piper told the crowd her experiences in that era all happened in Rockdale.

“That’s where I had my beginning, my work and my overall living until retirement,” she

said.

She said the Voting Rights Act provided “many treasures in my life,” including “the

privilege of voting for candidate of my choice” adding “choice, not of coercion.”

EDITORIAL — Mrs. Piper noted by 1978 Rockdale had elected its first black city council

member (Freddie Gray).

Many more have followed in the ensuing 37 years. The press packet handed out during the

conference included a 1997 editorial written by Mrs. Piper for The Reporter.

Mrs. Piper now resides in Austin and is very active in St James Missionary Baptist

Church. Her pastor, Dr. B. W. McLendon Sr., and grandson-caretaker, Jerome Hebert,

accompanied her to the press conference and reception.

FIRST DAUGHTER — Luci Baines Johnson, former “first daughter,” spoke twice during the

event, reclaiming the microphone at one point to praise Mrs. Piper.

“I’d never put words into my father’s mouth,” she said. “But he always said there were

two kinds of people, talkers and doers, and Mrs. Piper, you’re a doer.”

“As a teacher, you’ve given us an invaluable lesson,” Johnson said. “And remember, LBJ

was first a teacher.”

Johnson said she was an 18-year-old when her father signed the Voting Rights Act. The

historic photo of that signing was displayed on a screen during her speech.

She noted that LBJ emphasized the bi-partisan nature of the act and gave one of the first

of the scores of pens with which he signed the legislation to Senate Minority Leader

Everett Dirksen (R-Illinois).

In the Senate, the bill passed by a 77-19 margin with 47 Democrats and 30 Republicans

voting in favor and 17 Democrats and two Republicans voting against.

Johnson said her father told her some of the people who voted in favor of the act

“wouldn’t be coming back here (Congress) because of their votes.”

“But he told me a lot of good people in the future would be coming here because of those

votes,” Johnson said.

PROGRAM — Others on Thursday’s program included Mark Updegrove, LBJ Library director;

Bruce Elfant, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar; Joe Christie,

former Texas State Senator; Andy Hogue, Travis County Republican Party Communications

Director; and Joe Deshotel, Travis County Democratic Party (Com)

Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas

Lucy Baines Johnson - Susie Sansom Piper

Remembering history
These two women have witnessed a lot of it. Ninety-three year- old Susie Sansom Piper (L) is a Rockdale native, educator, writer, poet and historian. Luci Baines Johnson is, of course, the youngest daughter of the late President Lyndon Johnson and wife Lady Bird. They were together Thursday at the LBJ Library in Austin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of LBJ’s signing the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6, 1965. Mrs. Piper spoke at the event.

Mrs. Piper produced a 1964 poll tax receipt from Rockdale Box 15, showing $1.75 was received by county.

Photos by Reporter/Mike Brown

Rockdale native Susie Sansom-Piper speaks at 50th anniversary of Voting Rights Act signing Thursday at LBJ Library in Austin. To her side are the 50 of the pens President Lyndon Johnson used to sign the legislation into law.

Luci Baines Johnson recalled her father’s signing of Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6, 1965 as photo of the signing was shown on screen in the LBJ Library. She was present at that signing as an 18-year-old, standing behind her father.

Mrs. Piper and Ms. Johnson were two of event’s featured speakers.

*****

Crowd filled the 10th floor conference room at the LBJ Library for Thursday’s press conference. At lower right is Jerome Hebert, Rockdale native, Mrs. Piper’s grandson and caretaker. (below)

Photos by Mike Brown - Rockdale Reporter

All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter