Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1916, Henry B Gonzalez was barred from restaurants reserved for the anglo community. After earning his law degree, he entered politics in the ‘50s. Elected to the San Antonio City Council in 1953, Gonzalez put an end to segregation in city facilities. In 1956, Henry B Gonzalez was elected to the Texas Senate, and went on to become the first Texan of Mexican ancestry to serve in U.S. Congress. A man of the people, an outspoken advocate of equal rights for minorities and one of great filibusters in U.S. history. Gonzalez twice held the senate floor for more than 20 hours, rallying against bills that would increase racial segregation.