Kennedy made big changes in the american society in regards of the policy about black people. In fact there remained many racial discrimination in the south states and racial segregation in public schools. Kennedy declared that these discrimination weren't constitutional. He prohibed segregation in buses, restaurants, theaters, courtrooms, bathrooms, beaches, etc. But these decision were unpopular in Southern America. The congress was mainly composed by conservative southern democrats which didn't agree with the social policy of the president.
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| JFK and Martin Luther King at the White House |
JFK was also close with Martin Luther King, the main figure of the black's fight against segregation. This had been mainly criticised by southern states.
Another critic that came from the anti-discrimination people was that he was much involved in foreign policy with USSR, Cuba and Vietnam than in the improvement of the civil rights.
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| James Meredith |
The presidency time of Kennedy saw the first black man enrolled at a university in a southern state. James Meredith enrolled at the University of Mississippi but he was prevent of entering in the building of the university. The event turned into riots in the university campus and Kennedy had to send 3000 troops to stop the violence. This called "The Ole Miss riot of 1962" made two dead and dozens injured but Meredith had finally been allowed to access to the university. This was the main victory in the battle for black civil rights.
One blog about civil rights :
http://bbd3maantoinealine2013.blogspot.be/
