Key facts
- Lindsey Graham's 2015 autobiography, 'My Story,' provides a look into his views on race and segregation.
- Graham claims he convinced his parents to serve Black customers at their cafe, which was previously limited to takeout for Black patrons.
- He entered politics in 1994, securing an endorsement from segregationist Strom Thurmond.
- Graham has repeatedly stated that the U.S. is not a racist country and systemic racism does not exist.
- In 2022, he supported Black jurist J. Michelle Childs for a Supreme Court vacancy, facing criticism from some conservatives.
- James Clyburn previously condemned Graham's comments on COVID aid for Black farmers as 'reparations'.
Lindsey Graham's 2015 autobiography, 'My Story,' is shedding new light on his complex relationship with issues of race and segregation in South Carolina. The book, published when Graham was already a prominent conservative figure, offers a personal perspective on his upbringing in the segregated South and his evolving views on racial tensions.
Graham, born in 1955, grew up in Pickens County, a region with a history of racial violence. In his autobiography, he recounts convincing his parents, Millie and Florence James Graham, to open their popular cafe, the Sanitary Cafe, to Black customers in the 1970s. Previously, the cafe had only served Black neighbors through a take-out window. Graham acknowledges in the book that this decision was "much later than it should have been," noting that some white customers initially refused to patronize the establishment.
His political career began in 1994, and he later succeeded Strom Thurmond, a notable segregationist, in the Senate in 2003. Throughout his tenure, Graham has faced persistent questions from Black voters regarding his commitment to racial justice. He has often publicly stated that the United States is not a racist country and that systemic racism does not exist, citing the election of Barack Obama as evidence.
During his 2020 Senate campaign against Jaime Harrison, Graham faced criticism for his remarks on race. In 2021, he reiterated his stance to Chris Wallace on Fox News, stating, "Our systems are not racist. America is not a racist country." His views were further tested in 2022 when he supported Black jurist J. Michelle Childs for a Supreme Court vacancy, a move that some conservatives, like Senator Roger Wicker, labeled as "affirmative action." Graham defended his support, arguing the label did not apply to qualified minority candidates.
In 2021, Congressman James Clyburn condemned Graham for referring to COVID aid for Black farmers as "reparations." Clyburn stated Graham "ought to be ashamed of himself." However, Clyburn also recently paid tribute to Graham on X, acknowledging their decades-long service together in Congress and a relationship grounded in mutual respect despite political differences.