Skip to main content

What was the response of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to the civil rights movement?

Both President Kennedy and President Johnson were concerned about the inequalities that existed in the South. They were also very concerned about the images they saw and the reports they received about various protests and events that took place in the South.


President Kennedy campaigned in support of the civil rights movement. However, Congress was not too supportive of his ideas so there weren’t any signature laws passed while he was President. He did, however, propose...

Both President Kennedy and President Johnson were concerned about the inequalities that existed in the South. They were also very concerned about the images they saw and the reports they received about various protests and events that took place in the South.


President Kennedy campaigned in support of the civil rights movement. However, Congress was not too supportive of his ideas so there weren’t any signature laws passed while he was President. He did, however, propose a major civil rights bill, but it didn’t get passed while he was in office. He did appoint African-Americans to high-level positions in the government and in the courts. He also created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity to stop the use of discrimination in hiring and in promoting people at the federal level. The Justice Department also filed lawsuits in the South while he was President.


President Johnson was more successful in getting civil rights bills passed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation in public places. President Johnson used the assassination of President Kennedy as a way to get support for this bill. He said it would be a good way to honor President Kennedy’s legacy. He also used his influence and connections in Congress to get enough support to pass this bill. The Voting Rights Act was also passed during President Johnson’s administration. This ended the use of the literacy test and the poll tax as a way to stop people from voting. It also had federal workers register voters in the South.


Both President Johnson and President Kennedy supported the civil rights movement.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more