Capitol Hill in Black and White

Library Journal

Parker, the son of a black sharecrop per, grew up in East Texas during the 1930s. In the early 1940s, following a brief stint in the army, he came to Washington, D.C., where he worked as chauffeur and messenger for Lyndon Johnson and then, for 13 years, as headwaiter in the Senate dining room. This account of the behind-the-scenes Washington world he observed for over 30 years provides fascinating insights into such topics as the complex person ality of Johnson (who struggled hard for the civil rights legislation of the late 1950s and early 1960s at the same time that he often referred to Parker private ly as ``boy'' or ``nigger''), the sexual exploits of Congressmen (in their secret hideaways deep within the Capitol building), and the major events of the postwar civil rights movement. Well- written and absorbing, this is highly recommended for most libraries. Scott Wright, History Dept., Coll. of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.