> On Saturday, August 30, 2003, at 01:12 AM, joand315 wrote:
>
>> Bobby Kennedy
>> Franklin Roosevelt
>> Harry Truman - I guess that's borderline since he's from Missouri
>>
>> off the top of my head
>> and it's not hard to see why they got that kind of support. They did
>> things that tangibly improved the lives of African Americans in this
>> country.
> About RFK, I don't quite remember what specific things he did, other
> than be the AG when the Kennedy administration was pressured into taking
> some pro-civil rights steps by the movement.
He forced the southern states to enforce the new civil rights laws. He had the FBI investigate the murders of civil rights leaders. He protected civil rights workers.
Apparently, though, the
> movement did bring about quite a change of heart in him, from being on
> the right wing of the Kennedy clan to being a sincere civil-rights
> advocate, which he backed up with his considerable rhetorical powers,
> much greater than Jack's, IMHO.
>
> FDR, of course, was the hero of the whole working class in the
> Depression. And Harry issued the armed forces desegregation order.
(I copied this information from: http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/rfk_timeline.html
in May 1961 he Promises Justice Department action in enforcing civil-rights laws at University of Georgia Law School commencement.
Sends U.S. marshals to protect Freedom Riders assaulted by mobs in Montgomery, Alabama. Petitions Interstate Commerce Commission to abolish racial discrimination in interstate travel.
In September 1962 he Leads efforts to enroll the first African American, James Meredith, at University of Mississippi.
In 1963 he Argues before the U.S. Supreme Court for abolition of Georgia’s inequitable county-unit state primary voting system.
Sends Assistant Attorney General Burke Marshal to mediate integration of stores and lunch counters in Birmingham, Alabama, following brutal police actions to break up peaceful demonstrations.
Implements court ordered integration of the University of Alabama.
Begins testimony before congressional committees in support of new civil rights legislation. ~~~~~~~
-joan
> Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org
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