Lindsey Graham autobiography sheds light on record on race

Lindsey Graham's 2015 Autobiography Recounts Experiences with Race in South Carolina

A 2015 autobiography by Sen. Lindsey Graham details aspects of his upbringing and political career in South Carolina, including events related to race in the state. Graham, born in 1955 in Pickens County, described his early life in the town of Central, where his family operated the Sanitary Cafe. He wrote that he persuaded his parents to serve Black customers inside the restaurant rather than only through a take-out window, an action he said occurred in the 1970s.

Graham attended high school during the period when South Carolina schools began admitting Black students following the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. His parents died within 15 months of each other while he was in college, after which he assumed responsibility for his younger sister, Darlene. On July 13, 2026, following Graham’s death, President Donald Trump recommended Darlene Graham Nordone for appointment as interim senator, and Gov. Henry McMaster named her to complete the term.

Graham entered elective office in 1994, winning election to the U.S. House from South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, a heavily Republican area. He later won election to the Senate in 2002. Strom Thurmond, who had represented the state since 1954, publicly endorsed Graham for the Senate seat in 2001. After Thurmond’s death in 2003, Graham succeeded him and retained several members of Thurmond’s staff.

During his time in Congress, Graham encountered questions from some Black voters regarding his positions on issues affecting racial equity. In the 2020 Senate race against Jaime Harrison, Graham stated that systemic racism was not a defining feature of South Carolina or the nation and cited the election of Barack Obama as evidence that barriers had been overcome. He also said that minorities and immigrants could advance in the state provided they adopted conservative principles.

In a 2021 Fox News interview following the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, Graham told host Chris Wallace that “our systems are not racist” and that “America is not a racist country.” In 2022, Graham supported the nomination of South Carolina District Judge J. Michelle Childs to the U.S. Supreme Court. When another senator described the support as affirmative action, Graham responded that the term did not apply to qualified candidates such as Childs. President Biden ultimately nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed.

In 2021, Rep. James Clyburn criticized Graham for referring to certain COVID-19 relief provisions for Black farmers as “reparations.” On July 13, 2026, Clyburn posted on X that he and Graham had served together for more than three decades, maintained a relationship of mutual respect despite policy differences, and that Graham’s commitment to public service would form part of his legacy.

In the autobiography, Graham noted that his parents’ decision to admit Black customers inside the cafe came “much later than it should have.” He quoted his father as saying the prior arrangement reflected longstanding local practice and that white customers initially stopped patronizing the business after the change.

The book covers Graham’s account of these events without additional external analysis of their political intent. Graham’s statements on race and related policy matters have been reported across multiple interviews and campaigns, and his support for Childs and the later exchange with Clyburn provide additional documented instances of his positions.