The secular saints of Civil Rights

The secular saints of Civil Rights

From Think from KERA by KERA

June 12, 2026 · 47 min

About this episode

Sharron Wilkins Conrad discusses the perception of martyred leaders in Black households and the differing respect for President Johnson in the context of Civil Rights.

In many Black households of yesteryear, portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr. hung alongside pictures of John F. Kennedy and Jesus. Sharron Wilkins Conrad, fellow at Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss how Black families viewed martyred leaders who advocated for change and how that respect didn’t extent to President Johnson, who was tasked with actually passing Civil Rights legislation. Her book is “ The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory .” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

People in this episode

Host: John McCaa

Guest: Sharron Wilkins Conrad

Topics covered

  • Civil Rights
  • Black History
  • Leadership
  • African American Memory
  • Social Change

Keywords

  • Civil Rights
  • Black households
  • martyred leaders
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Lyndon B. Johnson
  • Sharron Wilkins Conrad
  • African American memory

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Southern Methodist University

Books & works: The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory

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