US Presidents With a History of Racism and Prejudice

The history of the United States presidency includes a recurring pattern of racial prejudice and discriminatory actions directed toward Black Americans and other minority groups. While many presidents have participated in the democratic process and passed legislation intended to advance civil rights, recorded conversations and historical records reveal a persistent undercurrent of racism within the executive office.

This historical record is evidenced by a wide range of behaviors, from the use of racial slurs in private and public settings to the implementation of policies that enforced segregation or stripped citizenship from marginalized populations.

Recorded Rhetoric and Private Prejudice

Secret recordings have provided insight into the private views of several presidents. In 1971, a recorded phone call between President Richard Nixon and then-California Governor Ronald Reagan captured Reagan using racial slurs to describe African representatives who had celebrated a United Nations vote. Reagan referred to these delegates as monkeys and claimed they were still uncomfortable wearing shoes.

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President Nixon also used derogatory language in other recordings, referring to leaders as cannibals during a conversation with Secretary of State William P. Rogers. In separate recorded discussions with his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, Nixon expressed opposition to the idea that African Americans would strengthen the country in the short term, suggesting that they needed to be inbred.

Similar patterns of private prejudice were found in the records of other administrations. President Dwight D. Eisenhower privately used racial slurs and expressed complaints regarding the desegregation of public schools following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, specifically citing his dislike of big black bucks sitting next to white girls.

President Lyndon B. Johnson, despite passing the Civil Rights Act, frequently used racial slurs and the N-word when referring to the legislation and the people it was designed to protect. Similarly, letters written by Harry S. Truman as a young man revealed a belief in racial separation, stating that negros ought to be in Africa, yellow men in Asia and white men in Europe and America.

Systemic and Policy-Driven Discrimination

Beyond rhetoric, presidential actions have historically codified racial hierarchies. President Woodrow Wilson implemented a mandate in 1913 to segregate the federal workforce by race. This policy was first applied to post offices and then the Treasury Department, eroding the Black civil service and widening the income gap between Black and white workers.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, which led to the forced evacuation and detention of over 100,000 Japanese Americans in assembly centers following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The executive branch also played a role in the displacement of Native Americans. President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which forced Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Creeks, and Chickasaws, from their lands to the western part of the country. This forced migration, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in numerous deaths due to disease, hunger, and cold.

Foundational Beliefs in Racial Inferiority

The roots of this prejudice are found in the earliest years of the presidency. In his 1785 book Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson theorized that Black people were inferior to white people in both body and mind.

President Theodore Roosevelt also held firm beliefs in racial hierarchies. In his 1899 memoir The Rough Riders, he suggested that Black soldiers would fail under the pressure of war and remained dependent on the guidance of white officers. He further opposed giving African Americans credit for their contributions during the Spanish-American War.

President James K. Polk maintained a lucrative slave plantation while in the White House. According to the White House Historical Association, Polk sold and separated children as young as 10 from their parents, keeping these business dealings private to protect his political reputation.

More recently, President Donald Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and various African countries as shithole countries in early 2018, questioning why the United States accepted immigrants from those nations over those from Norway or Asia.

President Andrew Johnson actively lobbied against the 14th Amendment, delivering a series of speeches titled Swing Around the Circle to oppose the granting of birthright citizenship and rights to freed slaves.