Why did JFK vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1957?
First of all... a note to "The Third Way" ... JFK WAS in politics in 1957! He was a Rep in the House from 1947 to 1953, and then became Senator in 1953 through 1960 when he was elected POTUS. Please READ YOUR HISTORY BOOKS more thoroughly before you post your ignorance. Kennedy made it clear that he supported civil rights. However, the CRA of '57 was not a well "crafted" bill and even President Eisenhower said that he didn't understand parts of the bill. Furthermore, and I quote from the article below, "Senate leader, Lyndon Baines Johnson, was a Democrat, and he realised [sic] that the bill and its journey through Congress, could tear apart his party as it had right wing Southern senators in it and liberal west coast ones." So, JFK, being a LOYAL Democrat, would likely oppose the bill for the "good of the party." Also, according to the Wikipedia article below, "One of the matters demanding Kennedy's attention in the Senate was President Eisenhower's bill for the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Kennedy cast a procedural vote on this, which was considered by some as an appeasement of Southern Democratic opponents of the bill." A procedural vote is a "technical" vote rather than one that supports or opposes a bill. It is like saying, "I'm moving this thing along but not necessarily supporting it." But, again, the Wikipedia article supports my contention that JFK voted against it in order to keep the Democratic party from splitting. One of the differences between conservatives and liberals: Conservatives are guided by TRUTH. Liberals try to GUIDE the Truth. Republican since before she was born… and PROUD of it.
Why did John F. Kennedy vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1957?
I've always heard growing up how JFK was one of our nations national heroess in the Civil Rights Movement. But doing independent research I'm finding out he not only voted against many of the Republican's civil right bills while he was a Senator, he and his family are recorded as saying very racist and uncaring things towards blacks and minorities their entire lives. In his biography "John F. Kennedy: A Biography" Michael O'Brien shared this that is causing me to rethink everything I've been taught about the civil rights movement and the Democratic Party. "By seeking assistance from African-American leaders, Kennedy followed a Massachusetts tradition. Rather than fight for civil rights legislation, Democrats in Massachusetts traditionally looked into a few influential individuals to deliver the black vote. "You never had to say you were going to do anything on civil rights," observed Robert Kennedy. "It was mostly just recognition of [Negroes]." By winning the support of black leaders, A Democratic candidate could capture the black vote quite easily." - O'Brien, M, "John F. Kennedy: A Biography", 2006, p. 365. I remember reading about Martin Luther King, jr's writings detailing the same thing about Kennedy as a President: that he made good speeches about promoting civil liberties for blacks, but never actually did anything. The "Million Man March" on Washington that King was swept into was protesting Democrats specifically like Kennedy. So I'm learning that it has been the opposite in real history of what I've been taught all through my public education and college history classes. That the Republicans are the major proponents of civil liberties for minorities and women, while the Democrats have always been the antagonists. But despite all of this, I'm curious if anyone has greater insight into why Kennedy specifically voted against Eisenhower's (Republican) CRA of 1957 as a Senator? It's one thing to not honestly care about helping minorities and just pander for their vote, but another to actively vote against their civil liberty. I'm reading that Senator Lyndon Johnson was also instrumental in stopping the Republican's civil right bills from passing as well. I'm curious to find their motives and rationality of why they were so hostile towards blacks and minorities before pretending to switch and create the idea their party has always been the party for minorities as they presume to be today.
How did the civil rights act of 1957 and 1960 protect african american voters?
The goal of the 1957 Civil Rights Act was to ensure that all Americans could exercise their right to vote. Before the Civil Rights Act of 1957, about 20% of African Americans were registered to vote, but this new Civil Rights Act of 1857, allowed all African Americans to ability to vote. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote. It was designed to deal with discriminatory laws and practices in the segregated South, by which blacks had been effectively disfranchised since the late 19th and start of the 20th century. I hope this helps!(:
How would you characterize JFK's position on civil rights? Give examples.?
Kennedy was pragmatical. He know that the ongoing strife (primarily in the South) could not be settled easily. By allowing each state to decide civil rights issues, there would be no progress. He brought in the strength of the federal government to ensure that all Americans in all states would live under the same freedoms.
Why did John F. Kennedy vote against Eisenhower's civil rights act of 1957?
Because he disapproved of the changes made in committee and believed it would be ineffective (and was proven right - 3 years after it's passage African American voter registration had barely changed).
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 did all of the following except?
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 did all of the following except A) it brought the power of the federal government to enforce civil rights laws. B) it allowed prosecutions of those who interfered with the right to vote. C) it created the Commission on Civil Rights. D) it made segregation in the United States illegal.
Why did President JFK not support public protests over civil rights?
The simplest answer is because he was a Democrat. The Democratic Party of the early 20th century was able to achieve frequent majority votes because of an electoral coalition between political liberals (mostly in the North), union workers (again mostly in Northern cities), and Southern white conservatives (the so-called "Solid South" solidly opposed to the Republican Party because of Reconstruction in the 1860s-70s). If a Democrat president like JFK openly supported the Civil Rights Movement, it would cause a rupture in the DNC coalition. This is exactly what happened when Lyndon Johnson pushed for Civil Rights legislation in the mid 1960s. Between his loss of support among Southern white conservatives as well as his rising unpopularity due to the Vietnam War, he did not run for a second elected term in 1968. And as a result over the following decades, the Democratic Party lost its dominance in the South. By the 1980s, it was once again possible for Republicans to win elections in the South.