Julia Sweig on Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight

(5/28/21) Perhaps the most underestimated First Lady of the 20th century, Lady Bird Johnson was also one of the most accomplished and often her husband Lyndon B. Johnson’s secret weapon. Managing the White House in years of national upheaval, through the civil rights movement and the escalation of the Vietnam War, Lady Bird projected a sense of calm and, following the glamorous and modern Jackie Kennedy, an old-fashioned image of a First Lady. In truth, she was anything but. Drawing from previously undiscovered source materials, including a personal journal from her time as First Lady, journalist and historical scholar Julia Sweig’s new book and podcast Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight offers startling new insight on just how influential Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson was during LBJ's presidency. Join us for a reconsideration of this critical yet overlooked historical figure in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.