James Meredith Civil Rights Movement

I chose to write about John F. Kennedy using the his “Civil Rights Address” as my primary source. By writing this paper I hope to prove how JFK helped the civil rights movement even though his term was cut short. I’m hoping I can prove that during his term he accomplished something for this movement that had a lasting effect. Civil rights was and still is a big deal in America and I hope to find out about his contribution to that effort.

Canada struck down separate but equal in law schools, setting a precedent for Brown vs. Board decades before 1954. According to National Humanities Center, the South played a distinctive role in the movement, the nation as a whole experienced a larger, more diverse civil rights movement; decreasing emphasis of Southern exceptionalism creates a more complete picture of the civil rights movement, inclusive of the multiple philosophies, goals, and groups of people involved. In conclusion, the long civil rights movement lasted some time and it started way before the Brown v. Board of Education. African Americans went through a lot just to be treated equal and getting respect.

The year of 1965 the black community let out a collective victory cry. They had finally gotten the rights they fought hard for. They could at last vote, go to school and college, and got the working condition they deserve. They couldn 't have done it without Martin Luther King Jr., but there were a slew of cases that were tried and further assisted in opening the black community 's opportunity pool. They were well known cases, like the Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown vs. Board of Education, and the Regents of the University vs. Bakke, all very influential cases in the fight for rights.

In 1954 the Supreme Court had ruled in the case of Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional and had reversed years of standard practice. This had defied deeply-held societal behaviors and thus caused widespread southern opposition. Formerly in 1955 a case known as Brown II ordered schools to desegregate as quickly as possible. Then, in 1957, in Little Rock, Arkansas, they planned to integrate nine African American students to an all-white high school called Central High School. However, after the town had heard about this a group of protestors had shown up outside of the school to protest and withhold the students from going to school there.

Despite that racial segregation in public schools became unconstitutional due to the notable Brown vs. Board of Education court case in 1954, that was merely the beginning of the transformation of American society and acceptance. Subsequently, the new racial movement allowed other minorities to have the courage to defend their civil rights. This was not only a historical moment for minorities, but for women as well. Women, regardless of race, revolted against oppression and traditions. To be politically correct was now discretional.

When nine young African American students volunteered to enroll they were met by the Arkansas national guard soldiers who blocked their way. Along with the national guard these nine students were surrounded by an angry white mob who were screaming harsh comments about this situation. On this day not one of nine African American students gained entrance to the school that day. Along with came a later situation where a Air Force veteran named James Meredith sought to enroll in the all-white University of Mississippi known as “Ole Miss” where he was promptly sent away. However in the September of 1962 with the help of the NAACP Meredith won a federal court case that ordered the university to desegregate.

Many other cases were also ongoing where certain aspects of segregation were being outlawed. For example, Brown vs Board of Education was a court case of whether schools should be created for white only or black only. As a result, on May 17, 1954 The Supreme Court of the United States ruled, unanimously, that laws which segregated public schools for colored or white students were unconstitutional. Furthermore, Rosa Parks also aided the advancement of the Civil Rights

John Fitzgerald Kennedy came into the world on May twenty-nine, 1972 in Brookline, Massachusetts to what soon would be a total of nine children in the house, John F. Kennedy’s life was surely a full one. There was never a dull moment in his life. He grew up as the second eldest son. HIs life always had some politics in it, especially having a father, Joseph Kennedy, as a leading member of the Democratic party. He once said,”The cost

Since the late 1950s, when the case for African American rights to receive the same education as their graduates began and ended, or so we thought. Schools today still remain widely segregated throughout the U.S. nation. In 1954 in Topeka, Kansas, the supreme court began to review many cases dealing with segregation in public education. Oliver Brown was one who went against the supreme court for not only his daughter, but for many other African American children to receive equal education in the ray of society. The Brown v. Board of Education case marked the end of racial discrimination in public schools which impacted African Americans to get an equal education in the American society.

As one can see he was pretty unstable for a twelve year back then to deal with a family death. In addition, another way James took his father 's death was by protecting his mother from the outside world. She was the white woman living in a black world and no one was comfortable with that fact. Because of his father’s death there was no one to protect her and he always stayed there watching her replacing his father 's position “ I thought black power would be the end of my mother. ”(McBride 26) because James clearly realized that black and whites never got along and his mom was in both, so it put her in danger.

John F. Kennedy was known for his charming, charismatic, and relatable personality which significantly attributed to him winning the presidency in 1960. These admirable characteristics of his were easily seen in his speeches as U.S. senator and as president, in which it was apparent he not only had the charm, but also incorporated his personal values into his administration as a public servent. One speech in particular which highlights this fact is his “City Upon a Hill” speech. John F. Kennedy’s “City Upon a Hill” speech was given on Jan. 9th 1961 as his final speech prior to being sworn in as president, which he delivered to the general court of Massachusetts. In this speech, Kennedy compared the impending challenges of his presidency to the troubles facing the first Puritan settlers of Massachusetts in the 1600's in John Winthrop’s original “city upon a hill” speech.

Civil rights helped a lot of people during the rough 1930s-1960s. Many people struggled during this time period. Some people even lost their lives fighting for their rights. Jimmie Lee Jackson stood against segregation and dedicated his life to his rights. Jimmie Lee Jackson made a big impact in the civil rights time.

King, Richard H. "Reviewed Work: Parting the Waters: America in the King Years." June 1990. The Journal of American History. 28 April

Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) declared that separate public schools for African American and White children is unconstitutional. This ruling paved the way for desegregation and was a major victory for the civil rights movement. In regards to providing an equal education I believe this ruling did help to level the playing field. All students would now be receiving equal education and facilities giving them equal opportunity. I do know that it didn 't exactly go down peacefully and many African Americans still did not receive fair treatment for many many years but it was a stepping stone to move education in the right direction.

John F Kennedy was a level headed, determined and well accomplished person. During his short-lived presidency, he had to take on challenges like no other and did it with sophistication and grace. From conflicts involving other countries, like Vietnam, to the Civil Rights Movement that directly affected our own country, Kennedy continued to take each problem day by day until there was an overall improvement or resolution. It would be safe to say that he is one of the more progressive presidents our country has ever seen. David Burner’s John F. Kennedy and a New Generation was written with the sole purpose of giving an insight into Kennedys upbringing and presidency in an entirely unbiased approach.