John F Kennedy And The President Of The United States

On November 22, 1963 America lost one of her greatest icons that she had. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States was killed with just under three years in office. Although this man was killed with just over half of his term in office accomplished many things that Americans now consider him to be the most influential person to have held the office of president of the united states, as well as an instigator of significant social change. John F Kennedy was a President that fought for civil rights for a nation that was segregated for over a century, Kennedy did not just talk about change, he actively fought for it while being loved by only half of the country while the other half hated what he stood for. JFK†¦show more content†¦These acts added to his , at the time, growing name that he was actively trying to ‘level the playing field’ which would make the path to equality easier to walk down. As a result of his work with that Ant i-poll tax and his work to tear down the hiring barrier, â€Å"Kennedy s emerging civil rights record in the Senate would become a source of both pride and frustration for the black supporters in Massachusetts who had worked hard for his election† (Stern). Another evidence of the man who fought for civil rights comes from a televised event where John F Kennedy spoke words the resounded through the communities both black and white all across the nation, â€Å"We [the citizens of America] face, therefore, a moral crisis as a country and as a people. It cannot be met by repressive police action. It cannot be left to increased demonstrations in the streets. It cannot be quieted by token moves or talk. It is time to act in the Congress, in your State and local legislative body and, above all, in all of our daily lives† (Kennedy). In the modern America today, where tensions of race are high strung, the 35th president s words prove to be even more true than many had imagined nearly fifty years prior. That police oppression is not the way to handle the matter at all. And if anything is to change, it must be done by the citizens of America, as to him, â€Å"It seems that these are matters which concern us all, not