blog




  • Essay / John F. Kennedy and the Civil Rights Movement - 2936

    In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States. During his campaign, he promised to lead the country on the right path with the civil rights movement. This electoral promise gave hope to many African-Americans across the country. Since Lincoln, African Americans have tended to side with Democrats and this election was no exception. The Kennedy administration noticed that part of the key to the presidency lay in the issue of civil rights. Although many citizens were on Kennedy's side, he had his share of opposition. Malcolm Malcolm X had other reasons for his dislike of John F. Kennedy and his brothers, especially Robert. The Kennedy administration championed racial liberalism, and Malcolm X asserted that his true intentions for the civil rights movement were not in the best interests of the black population. This tension flowed both ways. John Kennedy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation believed that Malcolm X had become a threat to national security. James Baldwin wrote essays that included repeated attacks on the white liberal and supported Malcolm in many of his theories and actions. Malcolm Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X led the Nation of Islam in the United States. The Nation existed as a growing organization and the government believed it would turn into a violent association. The FBI became intensely interested in Malcolm after he joined Elijah Muhammad and began wiretapping Malcolm X and trying to find charges against him, so he...... middle of paper .... .. is an informant! Works Cited Baldwin, Jacques. “Down at the Cross.” 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Tony Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 296-347.---. “To be baptized”. 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Tony Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 404-474.---. "White Man's Guilt." 1995 James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Tony Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 722-727. “Civil Rights”. Congressional Quarterly Almanac 17 (1961): 81.Evanzz, Karl. The Judas Factor: The plot to kill Malcolm. NY: Thunder's Mouth, 1992.Handler, MS "Malcolm New York Times May 17, 1963: 14. Jenkins, Robert, ed. The Malcolm X Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2002. Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965.