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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY: AUGUST 29, 1957 Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act to become law in 82 years. Among other things, it authorized the attorney general to file lawsuits on behalf of African-Americans who had been denied the right to vote. It also created a federal commission on civil rights. The Senate voted after overcoming a filibuster by Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-S.C.), who set a Senate record of 24 hours and 18 minutes. On Aug. 29, 1957, the South Carolina senator wrapped up a 24-hour, 18-minute-long tirade meant to stall voting on the Civil Rights Act of 1957.Thurmond Protests Civil Rights Act South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, prepared with cough drops and malted milk tablets, took the podium at 8:54 p.m. on Aug. 28, 1957, to delay the Senate vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Thurmond insinuated that the bill, which would ensure that black voters would have ready access to polling booths, was unconstitutional and tantamount to “cruel and unusual punishment.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond_filibuster_of_the_Civil_Rights_Act_of_1957