Lyndon B. Johnson
(Presidency from 1963-1969)
Working as a elementary teacher before his political work, he came to know the extremes and shokingly harsh circumstances for minorities in the U.S. (in his case Mexicans) early on. He continued to help minorites where possible.
Firstly he operated as Vice-President to John F. Kennedy, but then took over as named was assasinated in 1963. In this time, racism and its effects on all American citizens became a major issue.
During J.F.K.‘s presidency, Johnson became Chairman of the CEEO, reluctantly, arguing the committee was in no financial position to contribute to the movement.
Johnson remained cautious by e.g. In 1956, he killed the civil rights bill in congress to secure his position and stated he was „strongly and irrevocably opposed to forced integration of the races“. Due to the hostility the BROWN cases had build up in the South, he decreased thepromotion of desegregated schools, to prevent bitterness in the South.
Nevertheless, when the 35th president was assasinated, Johnson took over and publicly announced his „vision of a great society for America“ including „an end to poverty and racial injustice“. He was deeply convinced that discrimination and segregation had to be void and wanted to merge the two social groups of White - and Afro-Americans. L.B.J. sought to focus especially on the South, as the integration didn‘t work as effeciently there as it did in other parts.
The Civil Rights Act, which was drafted in Kennedy‘s times, was not easily passed. When the house of representatives had clearly voted for a draft of the act to be considered, it was sent to the Senate. Johnson put extreme pressure on the Senate to deal with this issue rigth away, even though it found strong opposition in the midst of especially the Southern the senators. But in the end, the Civil Rights Act withstood all opposition and was passed (71 approving, 29 opposing) with the immense support of president Johnson and his workforce.
The Civil Rights Acts days claimed, that the dicriminating voting terms for Afro-Americans, segregation in schools, workplaces, and any other publiy accomondation, as well as discrimination according to race, color, religion or origion was declared illegal.
He signed the act in 2nd of July 1964.
He also supported the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. When Martin Luther King Jr. tried to lead a peacful protest march from Selma to Montgomery, the participants were brutally beaten down. Johnson supported the protest with security by army troops and local guards. Shortly afterwards, the Vocting Rights Act was passed which, drafted by the government under Johnson, improved the circumstnaces under which Afro-Americans had been discriminated and held from voting for years.
Working as a elementary teacher before his political work, he came to know the extremes and shokingly harsh circumstances for minorities in the U.S. (in his case Mexicans) early on. He continued to help minorites where possible.
Firstly he operated as Vice-President to John F. Kennedy, but then took over as named was assasinated in 1963. In this time, racism and its effects on all American citizens became a major issue.
During J.F.K.‘s presidency, Johnson became Chairman of the CEEO, reluctantly, arguing the committee was in no financial position to contribute to the movement.
Johnson remained cautious by e.g. In 1956, he killed the civil rights bill in congress to secure his position and stated he was „strongly and irrevocably opposed to forced integration of the races“. Due to the hostility the BROWN cases had build up in the South, he decreased thepromotion of desegregated schools, to prevent bitterness in the South.
Nevertheless, when the 35th president was assasinated, Johnson took over and publicly announced his „vision of a great society for America“ including „an end to poverty and racial injustice“. He was deeply convinced that discrimination and segregation had to be void and wanted to merge the two social groups of White - and Afro-Americans. L.B.J. sought to focus especially on the South, as the integration didn‘t work as effeciently there as it did in other parts.
The Civil Rights Act, which was drafted in Kennedy‘s times, was not easily passed. When the house of representatives had clearly voted for a draft of the act to be considered, it was sent to the Senate. Johnson put extreme pressure on the Senate to deal with this issue rigth away, even though it found strong opposition in the midst of especially the Southern the senators. But in the end, the Civil Rights Act withstood all opposition and was passed (71 approving, 29 opposing) with the immense support of president Johnson and his workforce.
The Civil Rights Acts days claimed, that the dicriminating voting terms for Afro-Americans, segregation in schools, workplaces, and any other publiy accomondation, as well as discrimination according to race, color, religion or origion was declared illegal.
He signed the act in 2nd of July 1964.
He also supported the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. When Martin Luther King Jr. tried to lead a peacful protest march from Selma to Montgomery, the participants were brutally beaten down. Johnson supported the protest with security by army troops and local guards. Shortly afterwards, the Vocting Rights Act was passed which, drafted by the government under Johnson, improved the circumstnaces under which Afro-Americans had been discriminated and held from voting for years.
„Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.“ -Lyndon B. Johnson
President Johnson did a great effort to, unlike Kennedy, drive forward the legislation of Rights which spoke in advantage of Afro-Americans and against the discrimination and segregatin which had been going on for so long.
Sources: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_B._Johnson#Pr.C3.A4sidentschaft_.281963.E2.80.931969.29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyYSK1RZbTM (only first 10 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyYSK1RZbTM (only first 10 min)