“‘The white testimony is a blank to me. I don’t think it meant anything. I don’t think it had any impact. As soon as Fannie Lou Hamer started, it was all forgotten.'”

I first met Former Vice President Walter Mondale on October 14, 2010, at the Westminster Town Hall Forum in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He delivered a talk titled “A Life in Politics” in which he shared his personal experiences in local and national politics. When I spoke to him afterwards and asked if he would be willing to meet with me and share his perspective on the Mississippi delegation debate at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, he graciously agreed. My interests centered on his experiences as a member of the credentials committee and the chairman of the subcommittee charged with finding a compromise to the delegation debate in Mississippi. I truly appreciate Mr. Mondale’s willingness to talk with me and his valuable insight into this pivotal moment in American history. What you will read here is our conversation.