Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "193891",
    "label": "Radio and television address on civil rights, 11 June 1963",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193891"
}

{
    "id": "193891",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193891",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Radio and television address on civil rights, 11 June 1963",
    "description": "This file contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's radio and television address on civil rights. In his speech the President responds to the threats of violence and obstruction on the University of Alabama campus following desegregation attempts, explaining that the United States was founded on the principle that all men are created equal and thus, all American students are entitled to attend public educational institutions, regardless of race. He also discusses how discrimination affects education, public safety, and international relations, noting that the country cannot preach freedom internationally while ignoring it domestically. The President asks Congress to enact legislation protecting all Americans' voting rights, legal standing, educational opportunities, and access to public facilities, but recognizes that legislation alone cannot solve the country's problems concerning race relations. Materials in this folder include a memorandum, drafts by Special Counsel and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen with handwritten notations by the President, in addition to copies of newspaper clippings concerning civil rights articles and notes of suggested remarks handwritten by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193891",
    "identifierLocal": "JFKPOF-045-005",
    "creators": [
        "Sorensen, Theodore Chaikin, 1928-2010",
        "Kennedy, Robert F. (Robert Francis), 1925-1968"
    ],
    "collections": [
        "Papers of John F. Kennedy: Presidential Papers: President's Office Files",
        "Speech Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/1938/193891/content/presidential-libraries/kennedy/POF/JFKPOF-045-005/JFKPOF-045-005-p0002.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/1938/193891/content/presidential-libraries/kennedy/POF/JFKPOF-045-005/JFKPOF-045-005-p0002.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/1938/193891/content/presidential-libraries/kennedy/POF/JFKPOF-045-005/JFKPOF-045-005-p0002.jpg",
    "imageCount": 47,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193891",
    "naId": 193891,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "day": 11,
        "logicalDate": "1963-06-11",
        "month": 6,
        "year": 1963
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "day": 11,
        "logicalDate": "1963-06-11",
        "month": 6,
        "year": 1963
    },
    "itemCount": 2,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 39,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/1938/193891/content/presidential-libraries/kennedy/POF/JFKPOF-045-005/JFKPOF-045-005-p0040.jpg",
    "mediaId": "a437504fb27487dc",
    "ocrText": "THE SUN; BALTIMORE, FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE 14, 1963\nMuch of this program now façes a\nB° ling the key to success or failure\nPolitics\nfuture more questionable than at the\nin an anti-filubuster move are a number\noutset.\nof Republican senators who seldom\nTO his credit. the President was quick\ncatch the public eye. A cloture petition\nand\nto recognize and fast to act upon the\nat the beginning of the present session\ngrave developments growing out of\nto try to get a vota on limiting au\nPeople\nBirmingham. The controlled anger in\nbusters disclosed fifteen Republicans\nthe Negro community ecupted and that\nin the pro-filibuster ranks. Most of\nBy THOMAS O'NEILL\ncommunity's leadership found itse)f\nthese represent states where civil rights\nrunning to catch up with the rank and\nare an abstract issue in the abseace\nTesting Time\nfile, which was no longer receptive to.\nof large racial minorities, and they can\nWashington.\nward gradual advance and the cultiva-\nmake the choice in relative freedom\nMarse Bull Connor's police dogs in\ntion of goodwill. With no sign of re-\nfrom considerations of personal polit-\nBirzingham are back in their kennels\ngret, Mr. Kennedy put aside the care.\nical consequences.\nbut their mischief spreads and the\nfully drawn schedule of Administration\nMore pertinent to the decision of\nproduct includes a President of the\nlegislative wishes and dared the light-\nthese Republicans is the effect they\nUnited States on trial as an effective\nning by insisting upon meaningful re\nforesee on GOP fortunes in Dbxie, and\npolitical leader, the Democratic Ad-\nplies to legitimate Negro demands.\nthis 10 turn has to do with how they\nministration's legislative schedule up-\nAnswering fre was prompt. Enough\nview the contest for the Republicas\nset and junked, and the minority party\nsoutherners in the House changed\nPresidential nomination. Hopes for the\nin Congress confronted by ao unpleas-\nsides to bring defeat le the Administra-\nSouth would wane with a Rockefeller\nant choice having a direct hearing on\ntion's depressed areas btl. a measure\nor Rampey, blossom with a Gold-\ntheir hopes in the next national elec-\nwhich held prospective benefits for\nwater. Most of those concurned are\ntion. It is indeed a weighty package\nNegroes among the unemployed. More\nGoldwater men.\nbrought together by a small-bore poll.\nof the same is ahead, as well as a\ntician who was already a lame duck.\nlegislative slowdown to delay the ap-\nHistory must record Birmingham as\npearance of the civil rights issue.\nthe crisis point at which peaceful social\nPresident Kennedy's major problem\nprotest changed to violent social revo-\nwill be to get the rights bill to a vote.\nlution. The accumulated grievances of\nA possible snag along the way appears\nnearly a century of slow progress or\nin the coalition within the House Rules\nnone at all exploded there.\nCommittee, a surer obstacle in a Sett-\nSenator Paul Douglas points out that\nate filibuster. Congressional Republi-\nthe fuse detonating today's explosions\ncans have problems of their own. The\nwas touched of in 1877. That was the\nparty cherishes hopes of significant in-\neffective year of the gentlemen's agree-\nroads into the South for their Presi-\nment ending reconstruction processes\ndential nominee, hopes that will be at\nin the defeated South and mothballing\nstake in the decision between backing\nthe Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend-\nthe President on rights or giving aid\nments as the pay-off for the deal that\nand comfort to the embattled Soutbero\ndelivered the Presidency to Ruther\nDemocrats.\nford B. Hayes. Only within the past\ndecade has the human rights guarantee\nWithout Republican aid the Admin-\nin those amendments to the Constitu-\nistration can have no hope a. shutting\ntion been rediscovered. Even now,\noff a Senate filibuster by bivoking clo-\nY\nCongress has refused to come to grips\nture, a motion requiring a two-thirds\na\nwith the unresolved problems. Presi-\nvote. All chance of a favorable vote\ndent Kennedy is determined that it\nwould be gone if the Negro leadership\nA\nshall, and the judgment to be made\nshould adopt the reckless suggestion\nof his Administration may well rest\nof a campaign el civil disobedience in\nupon the extent to which he is able to\nthe capital as a means of putting pres-\nmakse that purpose stick.\nsure on the Senate. Such a campaign\nwould be sure to backfire, and as\nurgent Administration task is to see\nMr. Kennedy's method of aperation\nthat the notion- is dropped.\nberetofore has been the coddling of\nCongress, sparing it harsh choices in\nthe interest of advancing legislation\nto which he assigned priority. It was a\nmethod that created much criticism\nfrom the activists among his backers,\na criticism that grew at times into un-\nfiattering appraisals of the President's\ncapacity for leadership that carried\nmore than a hint of the do-nothing\ncomplaints against his inert predeces-\nsor, General Eisenbower. Mr. Kennedy\nwas well aware of what was being said\nbut held to the course that promised\nbest. results toward legislation be ac-\ncounted most urgent, tax reduction for\none."
}