Civil Rights Johnson And Eisenhower example essay topic

Eisenhower Under Eisenhower, the Civil Rights movement began its motions, seemingly from a void nothingness, as the south still had a stranglehold on the general society and was enforcing its racially motivated hatred's. Around this time, a great movement was also starting up - The NAACP, however Eisenhower did not play a role. One of Eisenhower's greatest moves in the Racial debate was to nominate Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who would be the principle party in the decision to outlaw segregation in schools (1954). Because of this move, the first black students where allowed to attend a normally segregated High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

This was indeed a great and inspirational step in the plight for civil rights. The backlash was fierce, so Eisenhower had to send in a thousand men from the airborne divisions to keep the peace. In 1956, Eisenhower, won a landslide victory, however, the southern states, from which he came, did not support him, attempting to place the democrat Adlai Stevenson in power, as they felt that he was more sympathetic to their cause - racial segregation. This, was his last term.

So as a whole, Eisenhower cannot really be seen as the "father" of destroying racial segregation and bringing in black civil rights, however, it should be known that it was from his original decisions that latter presidents could, and would, strike on this issue. Kennedy Under Kennedy that major push for rights of Black Americans was undoubtedly brought to the fore. It can be clearly seen that without the help of robert Kennedy, as JFK's Attorney General, there would not of been as much backing from the oval office on this issue. However, JFK, started to take a great interest in the topic, and this is why he is seen as one of the greatest advocates of this cause. Under JFK as presidency, Martin Luther King began to put forward his then radical views of non violent protest, and he rose as not only his communities spiritual and activist leader, but that of the nations moral leader. During this Period the Rosa Park case became known, so to did the bus Boycotts.

The silent and peaceful sit-ins became a prominent part of many corner stores and eateries, and the Black plight was now onto the world scene. It can be said that JFK not only supported these movements, but acted as part of it, and it is because of his leadership that progress was made. Before he was tragically shot he was constructing a civil rights bill, which surely would have ended the world of segregation known to all America. Luckily, there was another President to be handed the torch Johnson Johnson carried on JFK's work, which in reality made him a major player in the civil rights movements of especially the 60's. Under his guidance, two major pieces of civil rights legislation where passed. These included the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provided for federal enforcement of voter registration and outlawed literacy tests.

King did not give Johnson overwhelming credit for the legislation, stating that these resolutions were "written in the streets" by demonstrators. However it is evident that without Johnson these would not of eventuated. because of these legislation's and his support and initiative in Kennedy's ideas and affairs, Johnson has become a major supporter and player in the civil rights movement, however, as things go, he has never really received the credit he deserved. This may be attributed to the tensions between himself and Martin Luther king over the vietnam war. Conclusion Although Kennedy is often perceived as the only president to have been involved in civil rights Johnson, and Eisenhower also played a very important role. These three Presidents, in their own right, have assisted in the civil rights movement, some more than other, yet, without the support of these three men, and their cabinet ect, the black civil rights movement would not of received the publicity and the political backing it needed to finally succeed.