Modern History John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedys’ pivotal support of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960’s helped end segregation and introduce the “Civil Rights Act of 1964” which ultimately ended segregation and discrimination in schools, workplaces and all public facilities. John F. Kennedy and his Democrat government played a crucial part in the Civil Rights Movement with his public show of support for Integration and Civil Rights Activists in a time when many Politicians were reluctant to support Civil Rights. Although some Historians believe that to some extent JFK had not accomplished enough as President.

In 1954 by the Supreme Court decision in the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka outlawing segregation in public schools was the start of The modern Civil Rights Movement. In 1957 during a violent time in Civil Rights Movement History, Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a new controversial bill, “The Civil Rights Act”. The bill was meant to increase Black voting registration but had little effect in the south. John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, both future presidents and key players in the Civil Rights Movement, controversially decided to vote against the bill. Historians are generally divided when it comes to Kennedy’s involvement during the Civil Rights Movements. Some Historians believe that John F. Kennedy had a limited impact with the resources he had at hand, while others believe that without JFK, the end of segregation and discrimination would not have happened.

In the 1960 Election, Kennedy needed the votes, especially black votes to beat his opponent and future president Richard Nixon. Kennedy showed his support for Black rights and promised the blacks a swift acting campaign for the Civil Rights Movement, Kennedy also helped get Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail. With the support of the black voters Kennedy beat Nixon in one of the closest elections of American History, Kennedy won by 118574 out of a total of nearly 69 million votes ( Peters et al, n.d) . Kennedy received 67 % of African American votes and 52% of the white vote in the southern state , the black votes were important in order to beat his opponent Richard Nixon (Savage, 2007, p.87).

In Kennedy’s first year in office did little for the Civil Rights Movement. The reason was that Public opinion polls in 1961 showed that Domestic affairs were not seen as important comparing to foreign affairs of the Cold War. In JFK’s first year in office much of his time was spent on foreign affairs, and when it came to domestic affairs Kennedy was focussing on Healthcare and higher wages for all people including blacks doing little for the advancement of Civil Rights. Martin Luther King said: ”I'm convinced that he has the understanding and the political skill, but so far I'm afraid that the moral passion is missing,” (Sloyan, 2015, p.99). The Kennedy administration, in the midst of high tension between the Soviet Union, called the Freedom Rides of 1961 “unpatriotic” and an embarrassment to the world stage (pophistorydig, n.d). Making some believe that his support for Civil Rights was a political ply in order to gain votes against his opponent. Historian Robert Dallek wrote, “He had gone beyond other presidents, but it was not enough to keep up with the determined efforts of African Americans to end two centuries of oppression.” (Littlejohn, 2013). Like other Historians showing his belief that Kennedy did not do enough to end Discrimination of the blacks. Many African-American activists had been starting to grow inpatient with JFK’s lack of involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, “The Kennedy’s wanted it both ways. They wanted to appear to be our friends and they wanted to be the brake on our movement,” said civil rights activist Roger Wilkins (americanexperience, n.d). Kennedy did not want to lose the votes of the whites and influence of the powerful politicians in the south thus angering many blacks.

On March 6, 1961, John F. Kennedy had enacted order Executive Order 10925, “which used affirmative action for the first time by instructing federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin.” It also Created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. By 1962, John F. Kennedy had arranged for his brother Robert F. Kennedy to convince Governor Barnett to accept James Meredith, the first African-American, into the segregated University of Mississippi . As a result tensions and violence were growing in the south with many white supremacists and communities starting riots in southern cities. Riots broke out as thousands of whites were infuriated by desegregation. Kennedy sent in hundreds of Federal Marshals to stop the riots. To strengthen law enforcement JFK sent in U.S. Army troops from the 2nd Infantry Division. Two people were killed in the riots and hundreds injured including U.S marshals. Kennedy attempted to submit a new Civil Rights Bill in February 1963, but it failed as it failed to address important issues of integration of public facilities. In May 1963, Birmingham, Alabama a motel where the leaders of the Birmingham Campaign were staying was bombed reportedly by the Ku Klux Klan. The attempted bombings began riots of blacks in response a bloody battle broke out with the Birmingham police department. State troops were also called in to disperse the rioters. On June 11th, 1963 John F. Kennedy gave a nation wide broadcasted speech after growing racial violence across America. In this speech, Kennedy introcuded his long-awaited Civil Rights Bill, this bill would end segregation across schools, work places and all public facilities it also banned the discrimination of any person based on religion, sex, colour, race or national origin. In the speech Kennedy expressed his support for Civil Rights saying the famous lines: “ This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. And when Americans are sent to Viet-Nam or West Berlin, we do not ask for whites only. It ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any colour to attend any public institution they select without having to be backed up by troops”. (REFERENCE NEEDED) Although Kennedy could never himself personally sign the passing of the Civil Rights Act bill as he was assassinated in November 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson the Vice president turned President pushed the bill through.

To conclude, John F. Kennedy in his early stages of presidency failed to maintain his promise of a swift campaign for the Civil Rights Movement putting international affairs above domestic affairs. Kennedy in the later stages of his presidency showed his crucial public support of Civil Rights and later introduced the controversial Civil Rights Act which ended segregation and discrimination in all forms of education, public facilities, work places and also religion, sex, colour, race or national origin. Kennedy’s pivotal support of the Civil Rights Movement had ensured the end two centuries worth of segregation and discrimination across America.