 He did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto and voted for the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1968, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.In 2005, Byrd told "The Washington Post" that his membership in the Baptist church led to a change in his views.In the opinion of one reviewer, Byrd, like other Southern and border-state Democrats, came to realize that he would have to temper "his blatantly segregationist views" and move to the Democratic Party mainstream if he wanted to play a role nationally.