Skeptic Project

"Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1962, and founded the Phelps Chartered law firm in 1964.[citation needed] The first notable cases were related to civil rights. "I systematically brought down the Jim Crow laws of this town," he says.[4] Phelps' daughter was quoted as saying, "We took on the Jim Crow establishment, and Kansas did not take that sitting down. They used to shoot our car windows out, screaming we were nigger lovers," and that the Phelps law firm made up one-third of the state's federal docket of civil rights cases.[13]

Phelps took cases on behalf of African American clients alleging racial discrimination by school systems, and a predominantly black American Legion post which had been raided by police, alleging racially based police abuse.[citation needed] Phelps' law firm obtained settlements for some clients.[14]"

"In the 1980s, Phelps received awards from the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Blacks in Government and the Bonner Springs branch of the NAACP, for his work on behalf of black clients.[16]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps#Civil_rights_attorney

I heard Fred Phelps' estranged son Nathan say in an interview that his dad was actually racist at home and was just using the civil rights issue as an easy way to make money by suing people.

Nate Phelps, the estranged son, says his father held racist attitudes even during his work as a civil rights attorney.

He says his father didn't believe blacks were equal to whites, and often insulted blacks out of earshot.

"They would come into his office and after they left, he would talk about how stupid they were and call them dumb niggers," Phelps says.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/westboro/westboro101.html</p>

I've heard him go into more detail in audio and video interviews as well.