Lyndon B Johnson Impact On The Civil Rights Movement

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Although African Americans were freed from slavery in 1865, they were not treated equally a century later. Throughout the 1960s there was racial injustice, especially within the southern state, which had laws that discriminated against African Americans. It was also an important decade for the Civil Rights Movement, which was supported by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination in 1963. Although the movement was supported by Kennedy, he took little action to progress racial equality during his presidency. After former Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took office, he continued to fight for the equality of African American citizens. After analyzing Johnson’s speech on voting rights for African Americans and reading more about the Freedom March in Selma, Alabama, it is clear that President Johnson made a profound impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Although Johnson supported racial equality and did a lot for African Americans, he was unsupportive of Fannie Lou Hamer’s infamous speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1964. Before Hamer could deliver her …show more content…

For example, George Wallace, who served four terms as the Governor of Alabama (1963-1967, 1971-1979, and finally 1983-1987), proudly claimed, “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever!” in his inauguration speech in 1963. Governor Wallace also proudly protested the integration of the University of Alabama, which quickly led President John F. Kennedy to address the nation to criticize Wallace’s actions and call for a comprehensive Civil Rights Bill. After the assassination of President Kennedy, Johnson took office and continued to fight hard to get Congress to pass legislation in favor of the Civil Rights Movement. President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the summer after Kennedy’s assassination. In that same summer, though, massive injustices were highlighted in

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