Both President Kennedy and President Johnson were concerned about the inequalities that existed in the South. They were also very concerned about the images they saw and the reports they received about various protests and events that took place in the South.
President Kennedy campaigned in support of the civil rights movement. However, Congress was not too supportive of his ideas so there weren’t any signature laws passed while he was President. He did, however, propose a major civil rights bill, but it didn’t get passed while he was in office. He did appoint African-Americans to high-level positions in the government and in the courts. He also created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity to stop the use of discrimination in hiring and in promoting people at the federal level. The Justice Department also filed lawsuits in the South while he was President.
President Johnson was more successful in getting civil rights bills passed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation in public places. President Johnson used the assassination of President Kennedy as a way to get support for this bill. He said it would be a good way to honor President Kennedy’s legacy. He also used his influence and connections in Congress to get enough support to pass this bill. The Voting Rights Act was also passed during President Johnson’s administration. This ended the use of the literacy test and the poll tax as a way to stop people from voting. It also had federal workers register voters in the South.
Both President Johnson and President Kennedy supported the civil rights movement.
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