History teacher David Rapaport held a phone interview with former Asst. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach that was open to students on Friday, May 7.

To complement his United States History classes’ lessons on the Civil Rights Movement, Rapaport asked questions about Katzenbach’s experience with helping two African American students enroll in the University of Alabama after the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education ordered all schools to desegregate. Despite the court mandate, George Wallace, former governor of Alabama, blocked the doorway of the Foster Auditorium to make class registration impossible for African Americans.

Katzenbach discussed his encounter with Wallace, who refused to admit the two students and promoted segregation within his state, as well as his time working for Robert Kennedy.

Below is a recording of the interview.