ipl-logo

How Did Jfk Fight For Equal Rights

495 Words2 Pages

Finally, another point that made John F. Kennedy such a great leader was fighting for equal rights, and arguably this was one of the most important things that he has done throughout his presidency. How did he fight for equal rights? Well first of all, he stood up for the African Americans. On March 6, 1961, he signed Executive Order 10925 which required government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure all employees are treated equally irrespective of their race, creed, color, or national origin. His Executive Order 11063 of November 1962 banned segregation in federally funded housing. These were big steps changing America as a whole. The country that was founded for the freedom of the people was finally starting to become …show more content…

On June 11, 1963, JFK gave his famous civil rights address calling Americans to recognize civil rights as a moral cause. His proposal to provide equal access to public schools and other facilities, and greater protection of voting rights became part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. JFK in a speech to support the African Americans said this, “The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat lunch in a restaurant open to the public, if he cannot send his children to the best public school available, if he cannot vote for the public officials who will represent him, if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place? Who among us would then be content with the counsels of patience and delay?” But that wasn’t all. It wasn’t only the African Americans that he fought equal rights for, but also the women when he created the Equal Pay Act of 1963. John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to abolish wage disparity based

Open Document