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Felix Longoria--U.S. War Hero |
Private Felix Longoria fought and died in World War II, but the only funeral parlor in his small Texas town refused hold a wake for the Mexican American GI because, as the mortician in the town said, "the whites would not like it." Two stubborn and savvy leaders, newly-elected Senator Lyndon Johnson and activist Dr. Hector Garcia, formed an alliance over the incident. Their relationship would help elect John Kennedy to the White House and lead, ultimately, to Johnson’s signature on the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The documentary is a fascinating look at the ways in which a family's grief brought about a set of circumstances that would change the country, stir controversy, and eventually lead to a peaceful and mutual recognition that something good could come out of so much pain.
www.pbs.org/independentlens/longoria-affair
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