I am not prejudiced against the Negro. When I was governor, I did more to help the Negroes in our State than any previous Governor, and I think you can find Negro leaders in the State who will attest to this fact.

He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party (Dixiecrat) candidate receiving 2. He always insisted he had never been a racist but was opposed to excessive federal authority. In the 1960s he opposed the civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965 to end segregation and enforce the voting rights of African-American citizens; Thurmond was the only Republican along with 16 Democratic senators to vote against taking up the 1964 bill.