Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor called desegregation an 'unwilling invasion'
The Washington Free Beacon's Alana Goodman got a hold of Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor's 1985 college thesis. It's a doozy.
From the report:
Yeesh.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pryor, who is up for re-election in November, and Democratic groups have attacked Republican opponent Tom Cotton's college editorials, making this bit of history look more like fair game, but it's important to note that Pyror's thesis is not an anti-desegregation manifesto. It contains harsh criticism of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who deployed the National Guard against desegregation efforts, calling the episode an "embarrassing escapade."
Still, Pryor's thesis is sloppy and impolitic. It talks about the Arkansas Democratic Party rejecting "wild-eyed liberals" and contains plenty of neutral to praising language for the "uncanny ability" of Democrats to be in touch with the state by downplaying the national party's social programs and "work[ing] the black community quietly." It even suggests that Democrats in the state may fear progress altogether. The Free Beacon has posted the whole thesis online.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.
-
Can Republicans navigate their narrow House majority?
In the Spotlight This isn't the first time that a party has had no margin for error
By David Faris Published
-
How does Inauguration Day work?
The Explainer Part Constitution, part tradition
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
When does a Roth 401(k) make more sense?
The Explainer There are several key differences between a Roth 401(k) and a 401(k) that may make one option more beneficial than the other
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published