Kennedy's Extensive Service To Civil Rights Issues example essay topic

Some men go through life and live it quietly and don't change the world, however they make a difference. However then there are other men who change the way of life for an entire nation. John Kennedy was the second type of man. John Kennedy was an icon to the American culture and this is shown through the momentous changes in civil rights he made, the stands for equal rights that he made, the civil rights leaders that he was affiliated with, and the reasons behind his support. John F. Kennedy was the first president to make major adjustments in civil rights which would affect the way that some Americans lived their daily lives and would correct history by allowing all Americans to share in the ideals of equality of all in the American culture. While he didn't make very many changes he opened the eyes of the American public to the injustices being done to some African Americans and other minorities.

While Kennedy was campaigning he promised to address some civil rights issues. His speech is given in a book edited by Doris Saunders. Saunders recalls Kennedy's speech, "I assure you in a new Democratic administration there will be far better representation, on the basis of merit, of persons of all our racial groups, including particularly those who in the past have been excluded on the basis of prejudice. For no American should be disqualified for any office because of his race, color, religion, or family origin. It is time for us to practice what our constitution preaches (22). With these simple words President Kennedy started the ball of civil rights moving.

He pushed it at the top of the mountain and not even he could keep up with the pace that it would start to roll down the mountain. He also showed the American culture that all men were not given a chance to share in the life that they were freely given. He showed that although the constitution stated that all men were created equally, they were not considered equal in the eyes of the men that one should be free of oppression, their equals, not their superiors. Kennedy did make changes to the civil rights, and his most aggressive changes were in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964. Kennedy made changes to the way that Americans were living their lives and extended the basis of the American culture to all Americans. John Fonte talks it about in an essay.

Fonte explains, "The consensus was based on the principle nondiscrimination for all individuals regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, and sex. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forged a meaning to the word justice, and equality in American life" (paragraph 2). The Acts of 1964 were quite significant. They were: The right to vote, Defendants were allowed voting rights, public accommodations, public facilities, education, federal programs stopping segregation, and employment. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also gave defendants the right to jury trials on demand except for in voting cases for anyone that violated the rights.

It also stated that nobody could be convicted for criminal contempt unless the intent to discriminate could be proven. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also stated that no one person could be tried for criminal prosecution and criminal contempt for the same violation of the same act. These acts gave the state and local fair employment time to gain the compliance of the employers before the federal government would take action (Fonte 11-22). These acts that were eventually passed by Congress are the fist major strides towards the African Americans battle for equality. The advances in creating equal rights for the entire American public as a whole. This furthered the enforcement of the basis of the American cultures belief in a democratically appointed society of equals.

Kennedy created these acts to show the world that in the United States all men, regardless of race and color, are equals in the American culture and will be treated as equals or else there will be consequences for the people that violate the rights of these equal citizens. Kennedy however did not do this by himself. He had dealings with many great men directing the path of civil rights. John Kennedy dealt with many of the civil rights leaders of the 1960's, which gave the rights denied to the majority of the American culture to all citizens. Kennedy had relations with many civil rights leaders while in office. One of these men was Roy Wilkins who was the Executive Director of the NAACP.

Wilkins headed the oldest and largest of all of the civil rights organizations. Wilkins wrote Kennedy many letters concerning civil rights groups actions, and the inaction of the groups that they protested against. Kennedy also dealt with A. Philip Randolph who had helped with past presidents to help reform civil rights. Randolph had helped to give equal rights in the armed forces, and had improved other aspects of Black American Culture. Bayard Rust in helped organize the enormous civil rights march on Washington. He aided the cause for civil rights and equality in the American culture by setting up such events as the march on Washington, and other events.

Kennedy however was not pushed or bullied at all by these men as much as he was by another. Kennedy faced many challenges and forced decisions that he had not planned to make as quickly as he had to. Kennedy fought for equality and protected the Americans culture's ideals of equality of all men and races of men. He fought for the average ordinary American and for him to have a say in the representation of his thoughts in the government, which is guaranteed by the constitution. The same constitution that guarantees equality to all minorities no matter how much they were out numbered showed the beliefs of the original spirit of the American culture. Kennedy had dealings with one man who was a major supporter of the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama and he went on to march to Washington and tell of his dream.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man that pushed John Kennedy to the brink of anger at times where other men had never dared to in changing the view of the American culture. He was a man that pushed Civil Rights harder than many other leaders with the President was Martin Luther King Jr. King once stated, "In the election when I gave my testimony for Kennedy, my impression then was that he had the intelligence, and the skill and the moral fervor to give the leadership we " ve been waiting for and do what no other President has done. Now, I'm convinced he has the understanding and political skill, but so far I am afraid the moral passion is missing (Wofford 128,129)". While Kennedy at first did not wish to anger the Southern Democrats that had supported him in his race for the presidency, he answered the call to preserve the basis of the entire American culture, freedom and justice for all mankind in the free society. He would not allow a sub class to exists in a society, which was created by a government that states that all men are equal and share equal rights under the law of the land.

Kennedy was especially not going to let the world see the federal government be stopped up by the administration of the state. So none the less when the federal courts ended segregation and the South didn't want to, Kennedy didn't back down. President Kennedy faced many challenges when desegregating the south and changing the viewpoints of the minority in the American culture to a more knowledgeable viewpoint of integration. The first major conflict in the desegregation of the South was when James Meredith applied to be accepted at "Ole Miss" during the year 1962. The following account is from a book by Blau stein Zangrando about the beginning of the civil rights path to equal higher education.

Zangrando's account tells about how the Governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, had himself appointed University Registrar and denied Meredith entry after Meredith had went to a federal court and received the right to attend the public institution. However Barnett still was interfering with Meredith's acceptance, and thanks to civil rights leaders this had caught national attention. So President Kennedy then issued and executive order demanding Mississippi's compliance with the federal court ruling (483). After this obstruction of justice, President Kennedy addressed the nation to bring attention to the hate to the African American community.

He shed light on how the American culture's dream was being denied to a group of people not due to a mental or physical deficiency at all upon the fault of the entire people of the African American nation in America. Instead this belief of a part of the American culture and the belief of the American dream were being denied to an entire group of people due to the color of their skin. Kennedy gave an address to the nation during the incident as it was peaking. President Kennedy believed in the power of the strong central government in supporting the majority unbiased part of the American culture. Kennedy also believed that nobody should defy the federal government either. Kennedy gave a speech to the nation both on television and on radio at the same time in order to inform the nation of the situation in Mississippi.

Theodore Windt did a written recording of this speech. Windt recalls in his book Kennedy's speech in great detail. Kennedy began his speech by stating the facts and giving the American public the truth that he felt they could handle unlike many other politicians. Windt also recalls that he said this, ."..

Even though this Government (federal) had not originally been a party to the case, my job as President was therefore inescapable. I accept it. My obligation under the Constitution and the statues of the United States was and is to implement the orders of the court with whatever means necessary... for this reason I federalized the Mississippi National Guard. As the most appropriate instrument, should any be needed, to preserve law and order... Had the police powers of Mississippi been used to support the orders of the court, instead of deliberately and unlawfully blocking them... stand as one people in our pledge to man's freedom" (35-36). This speech addressed the nation as a whole and allowed the view of some strong discrimination in the south that still existed even almost 100 years after the abolishment of slavery.

It showed that even the laws that had allowed segregation, or equal but separate rights did not even truly represent that which they were created to represent, an equal society. That was the reason for the dissolution of this plan for the American society. It defied the American cultures belief of all men being equal. It allowed separation were none should have existed.

It discriminated against a group of people because they were different, however the American culture in itself was built upon the fellowship of these strangers with one another. Kennedy was not going to let this obstruction of the American culture's will continue unhindered. The Mississippi National Guard was called in to disperse the mob, the riots intensified into an exchange of brutality. In the end the National Guard won the bout, however it had left a sour taste in the mouths of southern democrats who had backed Kennedy for election, and in the mouths of anti desegregation supporters in the nation abroad.

The American culture was learning to accept that integration was the best way to ensure equality of rights among the people of the nation. Kennedy learned from his mistakes and when the infamous George Wallace, governor of Alabama blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama in order to not allow several black students entry, Kennedy was prepared. Kennedy had previous knowledge of George Wallace's stance on desegregation and Wallace's viewpoints on the new emerging American culture in the south. He also knew that Alabama was one of the last bastions of state run universities that were still denying access to qualified black students. E. Culpepper Clark states in his book, "Alabama was to the civil rights movement what Virginia was to the Civil War-its significance lending itself to enlargement in the public mind because the most memorable engagements occurred on its soil" (xi).

Clark tells about the meeting at the schoolhouse door of Governor Wallace and the African American Students trying to enter the building. Clark recounted the events", Wallace pulled out the statement... he said, "I stand before you today in place of thousand of Alabamians". He called the central (or federal) government to be performing an unwelcome, unwanted, unwarranted and force induced intrusion... (226)". Wallace believed he was doing the duty of the protecting his country. While instead he was trying to deny the American culture the right upon which it was built on, freedom of choice and the right to indisputable claim of equality of men.

President Kennedy however would not be denied the right to see the American culture's deliverance through its most publicized stand on desegregation. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and had them peacefully remove Governor Wallace from blocking the entryway. The man that removed George Wallace from the doorway was General Graham. Graham stated to Wallace", It is my sad duty to ask you to step aside, on order of the President of the United States" (Clark 230). Graham was a well-known realtor in the state of Alabama and was afraid of the harm that would become his business after the demonstration.

Graham was not in favor of integration of whites and blacks, however he knew that his duty was to the government that represented the will of the majority of the people and the will of the constitution of the United States. The Governor then stepped aside after making a brief statement. President Kennedy showed that no matter the cause, no matter the odds, the American culture would win through with what the majority of the people wished, equality with freedom and justice for the entirety of the American people. Kennedy woke up the American public with this demonstration of equality of rights for all people, regardless of race, religion, or creed. He gave the American culture a bigger picture and a bigger piece of the American public to defend and protect. President Kennedy gave a speech to the nation addressing the reshaped American public in the evening of the standoff of George Wallace and the Kennedy administration.

His speech talked about what the founding fathers and what they founded this nation on. Kennedy said, "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 rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened". (Zangrando 484).

Kennedy shows with these powerful moving words that the very basis of the American cultural beliefs are being violated by racists who fear integration and the loss of power that will come with it. Kennedy went on in his speech to state, "It ought to be possible for American consumers of any color to receive equal service in places of public accommodation, such as hotels, restaurants, and theaters, and retail stores... ". (485). Kennedy talks about how no matter the color of a persons skin, or their ethnic background, all men should be treated the same, as equals. All men should be treated without preference due to the color of skin or any other physical reasoned based on nothing at all but hatred.

Kennedy went on talking about the civil rights issues then by saying, "It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or color" (485). Here Kennedy hits a homerun with the American culture by saying that all men should be allowed to live as Americans. The American culture is based on the truth of new beginnings. It allows people to come for a second chance at life. American culture is very forgiving in that nature because in most societies you have one chance and after that it is over. Kennedy however felt that the civil rights were on the back burner of the stove and that the main thing cooking was stopping the spread of communism, which was blasphemy to the minds of the American culture in their free society.

Kennedy didn't like that the civil rights issues were forced into the big picture during his administration while he was fighting the Cold War with the USSR. Kennedy felt that "such forms of racial discrimination were anachronistic and deeply irrational to a modernist like Kennedy: wastes of emotion, energy, and time (Hedging Our Bets and Buying Time, paragraph 9). Here it is explained what Kennedy felt about the civil rights movement was impeding on his ability to fully concentrate on the Cold War which had the attention of the world. The only problem was that Kennedy did not know that the civil rights movement was not slowing down for anybody.

The African American society that was part of our American culture was ready to receive their freedom from the oppressive views of discriminating white supremacists. John F. Kennedy was many things in his life bust most importantly he was definitely a hero and icon for the emergence of a more equal and balanced American culture until his untimely death. Kennedy's extensive service to civil rights issues are shown by his changes to civil rights, his work with civil rights leaders, his leadership skills in leading the country into a brave new equal frontier, and his reasoning for the change. Kennedy had always supported the civil rights movement however even he could not keep up with the vigorous pace that movement leaders were setting.

Instead Kennedy tried to lead them towards an equal society by meeting the rest of America half way.