Reason Party: Oxford Union: William F. Buckley vs James Baldwin (1965)

Source:Reason Party- William F. Buckley debating James Baldwin in 1965, at Oxford Union.

Source:The Daily Post 

"James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley (Part 5)" 

From the Reason Party  

I don't think that William F. Buckley is denying that racism existed against Africans in America at that point in 1965 or that it existed before. I think what he's doing here, is asking his opponents in this debate, what are their solutions to the race problem in America, as it relates to both European and African-Americans. I think he wanted to know what the proponents of the civil rights movement, believed should be done to benefit African-Americans. 

I think the answers to this question is obvious. The proponents of the civil rights movement that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, at least in the early and mid 1960s, wanted equality under the law, not just the Constitution, but the law as well. They wanted and got laws passed that were supported by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, laws that wouldn't have passed in the Congress (House and Senate) without a lot of Republican votes, that would make it illegal to discriminate against anyone in America, not just based on race, but ethnicity, gender, and religion. 

When I'm talking about discrimination, I mean denying access to people simply based on what their race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Not just by government, but but by private individuals and organizations, including privately owned businesses that are opened to the public.  

I'm thinking that Bill Buckley being the brilliant debater and man that he was, already knew this. But perhaps what he wanted to know was where does the American civil rights movement believe America should go from there in 1965 and post-1965.