John F Kennedy's Civil Rights Speech

On June 11th, 1963 current President John F. Kennedy gave an address on the most controversial topic of the time: racism. Earlier that afternoon threats and aggressive statements were made at the University of Alabama, which required the presence of the National Guard. This episode transpired due to the order of the United States District Court of the Northern District of Alabama. The order was to admit two African American students to the University of Alabama. Kennedy’s goals in this speech were to have the nation unify and acknowledge the idea that if the rights of one man are infringed upon, everyone's rights are being threatened. President John F. Kennedy’s Civil Rights Address was remarkable because he made the situation more about coming together and built a collective idea for the American people. …show more content…
Without a doubt, 1963 was a defining year for the civil rights movement. On January 14th, Alabama Governor George Wallace professed in his inauguration address “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Whereas, On August 28th Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed in his “I Have A Dream” speech that “1963 is not the end, but the beginning.” With the drama facing the desegregation of the University of Alabama, there was no better time to take action and direct the American public to a path of integration. So, on June 11th, 1963 President John F. Kennedy gave his Civil Rights Address at a White House press conference to the American public. In Kennedy’s speech, he created the idea that all men deserve the same opportunities that you would want for yourself and all Americans need to support