Kennedy Is Remembered for the Initiatives - Essay Example

? Full and section number of Majority of Americans still support President John F. Kennedy in spite of his fall in Bay of Pigs invasion. Majority of the Americans consider him as a good president though he had several failures in his presidency tenure. Kennedy is remembered for the initiatives he undertook for establishing equality in US society. Kennedy dared to do what many of his predecessors failed to do. Kennedy put an end to different types of discrimination prevailed in the US society. US people values him for his contributions in spite of his faulty decisions like the Bay of Pigs invasion. In the early years of 1960s, inequality was very much prevalent in US society. Blacks were segregated in the society. Blacks could not dream of government positions those days. Blacks constantly encountered discrimination in private as well as public facilities. Blacks were forbidden from eating with whites in restaurants. They were not allowed to drink in the drinking fountains that whites use. They could not use the same bathroom used by Whites. Blacks had no permission to use the front seat of buses. Blacks occupy the back seats when whites occupy the front seats. Blacks live in the downtrodden areas as whites live in the rich suburban high quality areas. Blacks had no role in democracy as they were not allowed to vote. There were separate schools were Whites and Blacks. The story is different once the Civil Rights Act of 1964 came into existence1; full credit to John F. Kennedy. Failures like Bay of Pigs invasion could not undermine the popularity of this president of the United States. Civil Rights Act of 1964 has contributed much in removing unfairness from the society. Many are the achievements of President Kennedy that made people consider him as a good president. His contribution in lessening racial discrimination is noticeable. His eyes could see the inequality in the society of America. In the Presidential Inaugural address he made in 1961, he had sworn to put an end to racial discrimination. While he was occupying the office he offered federal positions to several black people. He is the first US president to give such statuses to black people. He appointed nearly 40 black people to various administrative posts like Associate White House Press Secretary, Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. He also appointed five black judges in the federal position. This brought a solace to Black Americans as they started expecting better positions in higher levels. President Kennedy’s attempt to uphold the negatively privileged people is memorable. Kennedy put an end to the discrimination in bus travel. A Supreme Court Decision of 1960 stated that segregation would be considered illegal in bus stations that were meant for interstate travel. Civil rights activists began to do Freedom Rides. According to this, Freedom Riders, black people and white people will travel together in buses to check if the new law is successful. In certain locations like Alabama, negative-minded people attacked Freedom Riders as they refused the new law. President Kennedy upheld the Freedom Riders. Later in 1961, civil rights was further implemented by Interstate Commerce Commission by making the seating in interstate buses equal to both whites and blacks. Color, creed or race differences were eliminated in the seating rules. Moreover all terminals were integrated. According to this development people can sit in any seat they want irrespective of how they appear, what color they are and whatsoever they believe in. President John F. Kennedy attempted to end discrimination in various sectors of the society. His attempts of ending discrimination in housing are memorable. Housing segregation always remained as a curse in US society. It was a major civil rights issue in the 1960s. Black people lived in the poor neighborhoods where no developmental activities would be performed. Whites lived in separate prosperous neighborhoods. House owners refused to sell good houses in white areas to black people. Blacks had to settle in the poor areas where whites would not enter. The Civil Rights commission, in 1960, reported that nearly 60% of houses of black people were below standards. The President’s Executive Order #11063 attempted to solve the housing discrimination problems in 19622. The order banned racial discrimination in housing. John F. Kennedy is the first President who dared to take such actions to end discrimination in US society. In spite of his big mistakes like Bay of Pigs invasion he is still remembered by America people for his brave attempts to uphold the cause of the impoverished black community in US. Ending discrimination in voting is yet another brilliant achievement of John F. Kennedy that made him more popular among the disadvantaged black community of the United States. Many black people had no rights to cast vote in the 1960s. The white people in the South never allowed blacks to cast vote. They found some excuses to block blacks from casting vote. Blacks were supposed to pass a test and give money to get permission to vote. They had to register to get eligibility for voting. Blacks were thus excluded from democracy. They exercised no power for they could not vote. President Kennedy attempted to make more Black people register for casting vote. He encouraged students to register for casting votes in the South. Kennedy believed that if black people get a chance to cast vote they can influence laws and decide who should rule over them. If blacks get a chance to vote, they would get more help from government as black votes would be valuable for them. President Kennedy encouraged blacks to participate in democracy. America, particularly the Blacks are thankful to John F. Kennedy for his attempts to drag blacks to democracy. The President’s flawed decisions in certain affairs were undermined by his wholehearted attempts to improve the lives of black people. No wonder Kennedy was supported by many people, forgetting his failure in matters like Bay of Pigs invasion. John F. Kennedy is still loved by Americans for he dared to stop the practices of inequality that remained in America since the birth of America. He attempted to end discrimination in education. School segregation was a major civil rights issue during that period. Blacks and Whites were not permitted to study in same schools. School desegregation was tried so that children of black people and white people study in same schools. This would enable blacks to be treated as the same way whites are treated. Kennedy offered complete support to those who desired desegregation. He supported the black students who studied at the University of Alabama. James Meredith, the black man who attempted to join University of Mississippi was given full support by Kennedy. Kennedy instructed the department of defense to offer protection to Meredith when he goes to the school. Though riots happened when he went to school, federal marshals defended him. Even Justice Department Officers accompanied him to school. Kennedy helped Meredith graduate from the school with a degree. Kennedy took big risks to offer rights to the disadvantaged black people. Yet another brave decision of Kennedy was his attempts to help the two students who were blocked by Alabama governor to enter the University of Alabama. Kennedy deployed army to make the students enroll in the school. Kennedy used this incident to address civil rights as a crucial moral issue. According to Kennedy, all Americans are to be given equal rights and equal opportunities. We should treat our fellow-Americans in the same way we want to be treated by others. Kennedy said that no American should be denied seating in a restaurant or a public place, or place in a school just because he is black in color. According to him, black people should be allowed to send their children to the best schools and participate in voting so that their desired candidate gets selected. Kennedy attempted to make people understand the unfairness in the inequality remaining in the US society. He said that discrimination is against American constitutional and religious morals. He desired a quick end to discrimination and did his best to introduce the new civil right laws. Kennedy later informed Congress that the new civil rights laws would allow every American to go to school, get a job, cast vote and occupy any position without any discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1963 include eight sections and laws that offer equality to all people of America. Everybody will have equal rights in schools, restaurants, public places and postings. The act eliminated school discrimination and enabled blacks to vote. Even though Kennedy could not see the Civil Rights Act of 1963 appearing as law, he did his best to eliminate the curse of discrimination from US society. He is remembered for all the support he offered for the negatively privileged ones. Kennedy put an end to different types of discrimination prevailed in the US society. US people values him for his contributions in spite of his faulty decisions like the Bay of Pigs invasion. References Brauer, Carl (1977) John F. Kennedy and the Second Reconstruction. O'Brien, Michael. (2005) John F. Kennedy: A Biography (2005), the most detailed biography. Bibliography Reeves, Richard. (1993) President Kennedy: Profile of Power (1993), balanced assessment of policies. Blight, James G. (2005) The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Burner, David. (1998) John F. Kennedy and a New Generation. Hersh, Seymour. (1997) The Dark Side of Camelot, highly negative assessment Kenney, Charles. (2000) John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio.  Wyden, Peter (1979) Bay of Pigs: The Untold Story.  Maier, Thomas. (2004) The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings.  Parmet, Herbert. (1980) Jack: The Struggles of John F. Kennedy.  Read More