On June 6, 1963, President Kennedy urged our nation to be a part of the action of guaranteeing equal treatment of every American, no matter what the race, in a nationally televised address. After, he proposed that Congress should consider civil rights legislation in federally assisted programs. Even though Kennedy's assassination took place before this could happen, his proposal was not left behind. Lyndon Johnson would make it happen.
In his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson, or LBJ, worked with the Civil Rights Movement. LBJ convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was not an easy task, The House of Representatives opposed the bill at first, using the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee decide under what rule bills come to the floor. Also, the Senate attempted to make the bill a filibuster, which means to take out the bill. But House supporters threatened to send the bill to the floor without committee and Senator Hubert Humphrey and Senate Miniority Leader Everett Dirksen of Illinois convinced Republicans to support the bill.
So, on July 2, 1964, just a few hours after the House approval of the bill, LBJ signed into the law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It outlawed most racial discrimanation which included segregation in businesses, such as theaters, restaurants, swimming pools, libraries, hotels, and also public schools, and banned discrimanating practices in employement. This act was huge!!! I bet Kennedy was awfullly proud of him.
Also, on August 6, 1965, LBJ passed a second civil rights bill, the Voting Rights Act. The act enforced the fifteenth ammendment and outlawed discrimination in voting, allowing millions of southern blacks to vote for the first time! Seven of the eleven southern states of the former confederacy were given this right: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina. The act also outlawed literacy tests. LBJ also met with Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King.
LBJ did amazing things for the African American race, actually any colored race. He made our country a more equal opportunity for everyone and it remains that way today, even though there still are problems. LBJ deserves a lot of credit for making our country unsegregated and equal.~Cora
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