--- title: "What action did president John F. Kennedy take in support of civil rights?" description: "What action did president John F. Kennedy take in support of civil rights?" author: "Gray  park" published: 2018-10-28 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51429/what-action-did-president-john-f-kennedy-take-in-support-of-civil-rights category: "history, politics & society" tags: ["usa history"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # What action did president John F. Kennedy take in support of civil rights? What [action](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81791/new-himalaya-action-policy-needed) did [president John](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/41967/what-laws-did-president-john-adams-pass-in-order-to-protect-the-country-from-enemy-foreign-nations) F. Kennedy take in [support](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/82686/benefits-and-features-of-salesforce-support) of [civil rights](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/85225/martin-luther-king-jr-inspirational-leader-and-civil-rights-activist)? \ \ \ ## Answers ### Answer by Sarda Kumari ## An overview Elected president in 1960, **Kennedy** had campaigned on an **idealistic New Frontier platform**. The president believed that by showing the world **what a free and democratic society had to offe**r, the United States could ensure the **defeat of Communism.** ![What action did president John F. Kennedy take in support of civil rights?](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/7463cb5c-34f8-48bb-9f85-943f06b1abc4/images/b2f6d783-432f-48b1-ac66-c468c02c1522.jpeg)\ Read also: [**why-did-president-john-f-kennedy-give-increased-funding-to-conventional-forces-as-well-as-special-forces?**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/40856/why-did-president-john-f-kennedy-give-increased-funding-to-conventional-forces-as-well-as-special-forces) ## Presidency of Kennedy Unfortunately, since Kennedy had taken office, the world had seen the **negative side of America -- intolerance and oppression.** Despite Constitutional assurances to the contrary, **African Americans were treated as second-class** citizens. They were frequently d**enied access to public facilities**, **prohibited from exercising their voting [rights](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81567/what-if-my-personal-rights-are-violated)**, and **subjected to racist violence.** ## \ Kennedy **pushed civil rights on many fronts**. He ordered his attorney general to submit friends of the court briefs on behalf of civil rights litigants. He **appointed African Americans to positions within his administration**, named Thurgood Marshall to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, and **supported voter registration drives**. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-4392740333731945&output=html&h=280&adk=2647541704&adf=846357128&pi=t.aa~a.1398768072~i.3~rp.4&w=673&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1658494891&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=1094794600&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=673x280&url=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.mindstick.com%2Fqa%2F51429%2Fwhat-action-did-president-john-f-kennedy-take-in-support-of-civil-rights&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=168&rw=672&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEI8JXplgYQncri3rORp6HCARJMAAUigxPyV-R7i7RzVTJK9KemlMS-1vi4C8o82luYKsl7Sx6f_I1LJA0KsCAc7VZsWIlOAB174f7Ck2GJSbVI4YoFCsDL-YbkJAjGdA&dt=1658494891276&bpp=5&bdt=836&idt=-M&shv=r20220721&mjsv=m202207180101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dbeff3bca69796673%3AT%3D1657646696%3AS%3DALNI_MbOvIJrXCZTb-MZ4_nXHkN_mPptgg&gpic=UID%3D000007a2ef180889%3AT%3D1657646696%3ART%3D1658492325%3AS%3DALNI_Manewx56oxknz1-0sbKVQXQ6I7ZIA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=940801885993&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1086799091.1657637850&ga_sid=1658494891&ga_hid=220751887&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=15&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=824&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&adx=337&ady=970&biw=1519&bih=696&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759842%2C44763506%2C42531606&oid=2&pvsid=1716088491954142&tmod=1211961613&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.mindstick.com%2Fqa%2Fuser%2F646421%2Fsarda-kumari&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C824%2C1536%2C696&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=23&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=WLkfdiYZ7N&p=http%3A//answers.mindstick.com&dtd=146 \ **Kennedy vs. civil rights leaders** Kennedy's approach to civil rights was viewed, by civil rights leaders, as noncommittal. But the violence in Birmingham on **May 3 of 1963 left him no choice but to alter his course.** \ The **nightsticks, the police dogs, and the fire hoses** had revealed a glimpse of what America could become. Unless Kennedy took a firm stand, the **New Frontier might deteriorate into a bloody race war**. ![What action did president John F. Kennedy take in support of civil rights?](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/7463cb5c-34f8-48bb-9f85-943f06b1abc4/images/ca135960-8152-40be-9393-f89e0b0a902c.jpeg)\ Read also: [**who-did-john-f-kennedy-run-against-in-the-1960-presidential-election?**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/40466/who-did-john-f-kennedy-run-against-in-the-1960-presidential-election) ## Kennedy's assasination **Five months later, Kennedy himself was assassinated in Dallas, Texas**. Comprehensive civil rights legislation had not yet passed. Kennedy's **failure to secure meaningful civil rights legislation was emblematic** of other stalled domestic policy initiatives introduced by his administration. **His efforts to cut taxes and increase funding for education** also died in Congress. At the end of his brief presidency, much of the bright promise of the New Frontier had yet to be fulfilled. \ --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51429/what-action-did-president-john-f-kennedy-take-in-support-of-civil-rights Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.