Jfk Contribution To The Civil Rights Movement

The Declaration of Independence stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal…” However, African Americans have not received equal treatment under the law. Jim Crow laws violated African Americans’ rights to a basic education, to vote, to serve on a jury, to enter certain shops, and even to use a public restroom. Throughout this time period, activists have taken many measures to secure their rights through both on a national scale and a local scale through grassroots activism. However, for any real progress to have been made, activist needed the support of the federal government. Presidents LBJ and JFK and showed support towards the movement. The Legislative branch wrote and passed amendments to help the movement

More than any other factor, federal action played a vital role in the advancement of African American civil rights.

The executive branch of Federal Government was significant in the advancement of African American civil rights. Even before the civil rights movement actually began, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal provided relief, recovery, and reform to address the challenges of the Great Depression. The New Deal advanced economic and working rights of African Americans, especially by the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Commission which helped to give equal employment opportunities and end discrimination. Although he was hesitant to act on the civil rights, President Eisenhower intervened in the Little Rock crisis and ordered the Governor of Arkansas to withdraw the national guard. Following this, he helped desegregate public schools by appointing five to the Supreme Court that supported integration. In addition, Eisenhower established the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which allowed states to be investigated and prosecuted if they continued to find ways to stop black people voting. John F. Kennedy was also hesitant at first, but he eventually pushed

Lyndon .B. Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, which enforced the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and gave African Americans a foundation for further advances. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination based upon race, religion, national origin, and gender. It forbade the use of federal funds for any discriminatory program, so it was able to reinforce desegregation of schools in the south. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned legal hurdles in the way of blacks being able to vote like literacy tests and poll taxes. Although the acts eliminated de jure segregation or segregation by law, de facto segregation still remained as people were unable to immediately change their attitudes. Also, blacks and whites were still living in different areas of cities and poor black ghettos still existed in cities like New York. Although the Legislative branch of the Federal Government was important in securing de jure rights, it was harder to secure de facto