Civil rights were an extremely controversial aspect of American domestic policy after the Civil War. The need for legislation protecting and ensuring te rights of African Americans was evident to many, but some still resisted integration and fought to keep the country segregated. The John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier and Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society are reflective of this rift between the two divides and can both be attributed to aiding the civil rights movement. However, the two programs were not created alike. Although Kennedy paved the way for civil rights legislation, Johnson and his “Great Society” were more significant to the success of the civil rights movement than Kennedy and his “New Frontier” because Johnson was able to accomplish
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His New Frontier policy covered many areas of both domestic and foreign policy, but was especially influential concerning the civil rights movement. All aspects of black citizens’ quotidian lives demonstrated their second-class citizenship; education from kindergarten to university were segregated, along with work places, unions, hospitals, mental institutions, jails, homes for the ages and even orphanages. JFK came to office with the pressure of eradicating Jim Crow laws and discrimination. The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pressured Kennedy for legislation declaring segregation in interstate carriers, injury service, university admission, and housing were unconstitutional. The external influences of Kennedy must be taken into account because they obviously impacted his decisions and platform towards the civil rights …show more content…
John F. Kennedy was too idealistic with his plans and the New Frontier was based on the incorrect assumption that the white population would welcome African Americans with open arms. In fact, during Kennedy’s first two years in office, he ignored the demands of the people to take a strong stand on civil rights legislation. Even after he decided to appease the public, Kennedy reenforced existing laws, rather than create new legislation that could possibly alienate his supporters. Kennedy was too apprehensive with his civil rights platform and usually only addressed racial incidents after they had resulted in violence and threatened his standing. Although he proposed the Civil Rights Bill in February 1963, it failed to address segregation in public institutions and was shot down in Congress without much of a fight from Kennedy. His noncommittal attitude towards civil rights is epitomized in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Despite all his “efforts” to integrate African Americans into society, Kennedy was unable to change the structure of America drastically enough to allow such quixotic
His New Frontier policy covered many areas of both domestic and foreign policy, but was especially influential concerning the civil rights movement. All aspects of black citizens’ quotidian lives demonstrated their second-class citizenship; education from kindergarten to university were segregated, along with work places, unions, hospitals, mental institutions, jails, homes for the ages and even orphanages. JFK came to office with the pressure of eradicating Jim Crow laws and discrimination. The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pressured Kennedy for legislation declaring segregation in interstate carriers, injury service, university admission, and housing were unconstitutional. The external influences of Kennedy must be taken into account because they obviously impacted his decisions and platform towards the civil rights …show more content…
John F. Kennedy was too idealistic with his plans and the New Frontier was based on the incorrect assumption that the white population would welcome African Americans with open arms. In fact, during Kennedy’s first two years in office, he ignored the demands of the people to take a strong stand on civil rights legislation. Even after he decided to appease the public, Kennedy reenforced existing laws, rather than create new legislation that could possibly alienate his supporters. Kennedy was too apprehensive with his civil rights platform and usually only addressed racial incidents after they had resulted in violence and threatened his standing. Although he proposed the Civil Rights Bill in February 1963, it failed to address segregation in public institutions and was shot down in Congress without much of a fight from Kennedy. His noncommittal attitude towards civil rights is epitomized in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Despite all his “efforts” to integrate African Americans into society, Kennedy was unable to change the structure of America drastically enough to allow such quixotic