African-American Civil Rights: Role of the US Government

Civil Rights and Social Movements in the Americas IB History of Americas (12th Grade)

Role of US Government• Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon

B. Johnson made legal progress of African-American Civil Rights possible, but were not responsible for making progress necessary.

• The leaders of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, both non-violent (MLK) and radical (Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, Black Panthers) were responsible for the national and international attention that made the progress of African-American civil rights necessary for the US Government.

President John F. Kennedy• President John F. Kennedy (JFK)

spoke and campaigned as a strong supporter of Civil Rights but didn’t actually take action until violence against African-Americans gained national and international attention.

• JFK campaigned against racial segregation and helped secure MLK’s release from jail, BUT did appoint some officials who supported racial segregation.

President Lyndon B. Johnson• President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) was

actually a strong supporter of minority civil rights and was determined to finish the reforms planned by JFK and to make his own.

• LBJ began his working life as a teacher of Mexican-Americans in Texas and saw the effects of poverty and discrimination.

• His vision for an America without poverty and discrimination was called “The Great Society,” and as a skilled negotiator he was able to get civil rights and voting rights laws passed.

• Unfortunately, his contributions to civil rights movements are largely overshadowed by unpopularity of the Vietnam War.

Research Simulation• President Lyndon B Johnson was a far

stronger supporter of the African-American Civil Rights Movement than President John F Kennedy; however, Kennedy’s short time in office and the unpopularity of the Vietnam War overshadow this.

• If you were an American living during the Presidencies of both John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson would you have noticed the difference in their contributions to the African-American Civil Rights Movement?