Essay Example on Eisenhower & Kennedy: Protecting Civil Rights for African Americans

Q.1. Why did Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy move to protect civil rights demonstrators even when they disagreed with the movement's tactics or goals?

African Americans in the South were denied the right to vote when John Kennedy became the president in the year1961. They were also barred from using public utilities, were subjected to violence and insults and they could not expect justice from courts. The black Americans in the North also faced discrimination in aspects of housing, education, employment, and many others. However, the civil rights movement made quite important progress and demanded change from the leaders.

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The Supreme Court, in 1954, ruled that racial segregation was unconstitutional in public schools. The political leaders from the Southern side claimed that the decision for desegregation was a violation to the rights of states in managing the systems of education and the response was deviant and had legal challenges. This way, the school desegregation went on quite slowly. The president of the National Guard troops was forced to enforce the desegregation of a school but even then, it was still slow.

As a candidate Eisenhower did not openly advocate for the end of Jim Crow however as the President, he pushed for the desegregation of the District of Columbia and the military. President Eisenhower did not want to become a civil rights crusader. He was a strong believer of states' rights but also believed that these rights created an obligation on the states to obey the federal government in areas they have no jurisdiction over. Consequently, when the Supreme Court in Brown v Board of Education invalidated the legal basis for racial segregation in the South's public schools, he was more than willing to use all the powers of his office to enforce the orders of that federal court. For instance, when the governor of Arkansas, refused to comply with the Supreme Court's order to desegregate in 1957, President Eisenhower sent paratroopers and brought the Arkansas National Guard under his command to remove political resistance to the process.

President Kennedy was similarly lukewarm about getting rid of Jim crow on the United States. To most historians, it was his brother, Robert Kennedy who pushed President Kennedy to support of civil rights in his role as the Attorney General. For example, it was the relationship that Robert Kennedy had with Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders that facilitated a White House meeting in the run up to the 'million man' march to Washington. The Robert Kennedy also used the powers of his office to protect civil rights demonstrators in the South as well as prosecute the KKK and other acts of violence directed against members of the civil rights movement. The final contribution of President Kennedy was his assassination that forced Southern Democrats to join in the passage of the Civil Rights Act which officially put to an end any form of discrimination or segregation on the basis of race.

President Einsenhower and Kennedy were impelled to move to protect demonstrators even when they disagreed with the movement's tactics because they needed to get endorsed with their electors. Kennedy had a narrow election victory and was threatened by a small working margin in the Congress that left him cautious. He did not want to lose the Southern part for legislation because of the many fronts that pushed them too hard on civil rights legislation. This way, they had to speak in favor of school desegregation, praised the cities that integrated the concept and put leaders in charge of aspects of employment opportunities.

Q.2. How would you compare the degrees and types of segregation and institutional racism that characterized the South, North, and West in this era?

The northern side faced and challenged segregation similar to the South and West sides. The men from the north were denied service more so in North Carolina but they kept returning every day with supporters, both the whites and blacks. They showed up despite being bullied, being spat on, getting jailed and having ketchup emptied on their heads as well as cigarette butts ground into their skin.

The black Americans in the north were discriminated in terms of housing. They lived in marginalized areas compared to the whites who lived in the best and productive parts of the country. They also faced discrimination in terms of employment where they hardly got good jobs and if they got any, they were hard jobs such as working in mines or being slaves. The black Americans in the north were not well-educated because they got discriminated in schools.

The African Americans on the southern side faced different degrees of discrimination. They were denied the right to vote. They could not vote because that was the work of the whites and they could not practice their right because the leaders did not also want it. They were also barred from accessing public facilities. They could be subjected to violence and insults and they did not expect justice from the courts.

All these areas were run by the whites and they discriminated the blacks hence were not given any opportunity to enjoy their rights even when they deserved them. The children of the black Americans were also discriminated at school and only few of them attended school when they were allowed because the leaders claim to support desegregation proceeded very slowly. Those who protested for freedom in the South were arrested and beaten. Their buses were burned and the riders were also attacked with tire irons and baseball bats. Black Americans in the Western side were also segregated and discriminated. The prisoners occupied most of the western side. It was a collection of ghettos or poorhouses that were reserved for the people who were uneducated, unskilled and powerless. The prison system had been reserved for the African Americans since they did not get justice from the courts. The police did not stop the violence of the Americans in the North and West because of the white authorities. The white people were determined to restrict movement in these areas. When the blacks protested, there were harassed and received vicious police beatings. The progress of employment was slow in the West.

Generally, the African Americans were discriminated in all the areas. Even when the leaders promised to enforce aspects of their rights, the progress was quite slow and they did not get to enjoy those rights by any way. This way, the people were triggered to start their protests against the leaders hence the emergence of the civil rights movement.