The government
found itself supporting human rights ideologically while backing
down on them in practice.
As the Cold War deepened, the U. S. became increasingly sensitive
about its world image. While fighting for world leadership,
Russia and America each claimed that its way of life was based on
the principles of brotherhood and humanitarianism. Each, in turn,
tried to prove to the rest of the world that its ideology was
genuinely humane and democratic, while its opponent's ideology
was, in reality, oppressive and dehumanizing. The communist bloc
attacked the West for being purveyors of imperialism and racism.
This forced the American government to face up to the
discriminatory policies within the nation and, especially, to
reexamine the legal discrimination existing within the Southern
states. It was particularly embarrassing to the American
ambassador to the United Nations to have to be berated by the
Russian delegate concerning some unpleasant racial events which
had happened somewhere in the South. The Federal Government had
always followed a policy of "hands off," at least since the days
of Hayes and the end of Reconstruction.
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