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36.JohnF.Kennedy-CivilRightsAddress

Goodevening,myfellowcitizens:

Thisafternoon,followingaseriesofthreatsand

defiantstatements,thepresenceofAlabamaNationalGuardsmenwasrequiredontheUniversityofAlabama

tocarryoutthefinalandunequivocalorderoftheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtoftheNorthernDistrictofAlabama.

ThatordercalledfortheadmissionoftwoclearlyqualifiedyoungAlabamaresidentswhohappened

tohavebeenbornNegro.Thattheywereadmittedpeacefullyonthecampusisdueingoodmeasureto

theconductofthestudentsoftheUniversityofAlabama,whomettheirresponsibilitiesinaconstructiveway.

IhopethateveryAmerican,regardlessofwherehelives,willstopandexaminehis

conscienceaboutthisandotherrelatedincidents.ThisNationwasfoundedbymenofmany

nationsandbackgrounds.Itwasfoundedontheprinciplethatallmenarecreatedequal,and

thattherightsofeverymanarediminishedwhentherightsofonemanarethreatened.

Today,wearecommittedtoaworldwidestruggletopromoteandprotecttherightsofallwho

wishtobefree.AndwhenAmericansaresenttoVietnamorWestBerlin,wedo

notaskforwhitesonly.Itoughtabepossible,therefore,forAmericanstudentsofanycolortoattendany

publicinstitutiontheyselectwithouthavingtobebackedupbytroops.Itoughtatobe

possibleforAmericanconsumersofanycolortoreceiveequalserviceinplacesofpublic

accommodation,suchashotelsandrestaurantsandtheatersandretailstores,withoutbeing

forcedtoresorttodemonstrationsinthestreet,anditoughtabepossibleforAmerican

citizensofanycolortoregisterandtovoteinafreeelectionwithout

interferenceorfearofreprisal.Itoughtatobepossible,inshort,forevery

AmericantoenjoytheprivilegesofbeingAmericanwithoutregardtohisraceorhiscolor.

Inshort,everyAmericanoughttohavetherighttobetreatedashewouldwish

tobetreated,asonewouldwishhischildrentobetreated.Butthisisnotthecase.

TheNegrobabyborninAmericatoday,regardlessofthesectionoftheStateinwhich

heisborn,hasaboutonehalfasmuchchanceofcompletingahighschoolasawhitebabybornin

thesameplaceonthesameday,onethirdasmuchchanceofcompletingcollege,onethird

asmuchchanceofbecomingaprofessionalman,twiceasmuchchanceofbecoming

unemployed,aboutoneseventhasmuchchanceofearning$10,000ayear,alifeexpectancy

whichis7yearsshorter,andtheprospectsofearningonlyhalfasmuch.

Thisisnotasectionalissue.Difficultiesoversegregationanddiscriminationexist

ineverycity,ineveryStateoftheUnion,producinginmanycitiesarisingtideofdiscontentthatthreatens

thepublicsafety.Noristhisapartisanissue.

Inatimeofdomesticcrisismenofgoodwillandgenerosityshouldbeabletouniteregardlessof

partyorpolitics.Thisisnotevenalegalor

legislativeissuealone.Itisbettertosettlethesemattersinthecourtsthanonthestreets,

andnewlawsareneededateverylevel,butlawalonecannotmakemenseeright.Weare

confrontedprimarilywithamoralissue.ItisasoldastheScripturesandisasclearasthe

AmericanConstitution.

TheheartofthequestioniswhetherallAmericansaretobeaffordedequalrightsandequal

opportunities,whetherwearegoingtotreatourfellowAmericansaswewanttobetreated.

IfanAmerican,becausehisskinisdark,cannoteatlunchinarestaurantopento

thepublic,ifhecannotsendhischildrentothebestpublicschoolavailable,

ifhecannotvoteforthepublicofficialswhowillrepresenthim,if,inshort,hecannotenjoythefullandfreelifewhichallofuswant,thenwhoamonguswouldbecontenttohavethecolorofhisskinchangedand

standinhisplace?

Whoamonguswouldthenbecontentwiththecounselsofpatienceanddelay?

OnehundredyearsofdelayhavepassedsincePresidentLincolnfreedtheslaves,yettheir

heirs,theirgrandsons,arenotfullyfree.Theyarenotyetfreedfromthebondsofinjustice.

Theyarenotyetfreedfromsocialandeconomicoppression.AndthisNation,forallitshopes

andallitsboasts,willnotbefullyfreeuntilallitscitizensarefree.

Wepreachfreedomaroundtheworld,andwemeanit,andwecherishourfreedomhereat

home,butarewetosaytotheworld,andmuchmoreimportantly,toeachotherthat

thisisthelandofthefreeexceptfortheNegroes.thatwehavenosecondclasscitizensexcept

Negroes.thatwehavenoclassorcastesystem,noghettoes,nomasterraceexceptwith

respecttoNegroes?

NowthetimehascomeforthisNationtofulfillitspromise.TheeventsinBirminghamand

elsewherehavesoincreasedthecriesforequalitythatnocityorStateorlegislativebodycan

prudentlychooseto

ignorethem.Thefiresoffrustrationanddiscordareburningineverycity,

NorthandSouth,wherelegalremediesarenotathand.Redressissoughtinthestreets,in

demonstrations,parades,andprotestswhichcreatetensionsandthreatenviolenceand

threatenlives.

Weface,therefore,amoralcrisisasacountryandapeople.Itcannotbemetbyrepressive

policeaction.Itcannotbelefttoincreaseddemonstrationsinthestreets.Itcannotbequieted

bytokenmovesortalk.ItisatimetoactintheCongress,inyourStateandlocal

legislativebodyand,aboveall,inallofourdailylives.Itisnotenoughtopin

theblameonothers,tosaythisaproblemofonesectionofthecountryoranother,ordeplorethefactsthatweface.

Agreatchangeisathand,andourtask,ourobligation,istomakethatrevolution,that

change,peacefulandconstructiveforall.Thosewhodonothingareinvitingshame,aswellas

violence.Thosewhoactboldlyarerecognizingright,aswellasreality.

NextweekIshallasktheCongressoftheUnitedStatestoact,tomakeacommitmentithas

notfullymadeinthiscenturytothepropositionthatracehasnoplaceinAmerican

lifeorlaw.TheFederaljudiciaryhasupheldthatpropositioninaseriesofforthright

cases.TheExecutiveBranchhasadoptedthatpropositionin

theconductofitsaffairs,includingtheemploymentof

Federalpersonnel,theuseofFederalfacilities,andthesaleoffederallyfinancedhousing.

ButthereareothernecessarymeasureswhichonlytheCongresscanprovide,andtheymust

beprovidedatthissession.Theoldcodeofequitylawunderwhichwelivecommandsforevery

wrongaremedy,butintoomanycommunities,intoomanypartsofthecountry,wrongsare

inflictedonNegrocitizensandtherearenoremediesatlaw.UnlesstheCongressacts,their

onlyremedyisthestreet.

Iam,therefore,askingtheCongresstoenactlegislationgivingallAmericanstheright

tobeservedinfacilitieswhichareopentothepublichotels,

restaurants,theaters,retailstores,andsimilarestablishments.Thisseemsto

metobeanelementaryright.Itsdenialisanarbitraryindignitythat

noAmericanin1963shouldhavetoendure,butmanydo.

Ihaverecentlymetwithscoresofbusinessleadersurgingthemtotakevoluntaryaction

toendthisdiscrimination,andIhavebeenencouragedbytheirresponse,andinthelasttwo

weeksover75citieshaveseenprogressmadeindesegregatingthesekindsoffacilities.But

manyareunwillingtoactalone,andforthisreason,nationwidelegislation

isneededifwearetomovethisproblemfromthestreetstothecourts.

I'malsoaskingtheCongresstoauthorizetheFederalGovernmenttoparticipatemorefullyin

lawsuitsdesignedtoendsegregationinpubliceducation.Wehavesucceededinpersuading

manydistrictstodesegregatevoluntarily.DozenshaveadmittedNegroeswithoutviolence.

Today,aNegroisattendingaStatesupportedinstitutionineveryoneofour50States,but

thepaceisveryslow.

ToomanyNegrochildrenenteringsegregatedgradeschoolsatthetimeoftheSupreme

Court'sdecisionnineyearsagowillentersegregatedhighschoolsthisfall,havingsuffereda

losswhichcanneverberestored.ThelackofanadequateeducationdeniestheNegroa

chancetogetadecentjob.

TheorderlyimplementationoftheSupremeCourtdecision,therefore,cannotbeleftsolelyto

thosewhomaynothavetheeconomicresourcestocarrythelegalactionorwhomaybe

subjecttoharassment.

Otherfeatureswillbealsorequested,includinggreaterprotectionfortherighttovote.

Butlegislation,Irepeat,cannotsolvethisproblemalone.Itmustbesolvedinthehomesofevery

Americanineverycommunityacrossourcountry.InthisrespectIwannapaytributeto

thosecitizensNorthandSouthwho'vebeenworkingintheircommunitiestomakelifebetterforall.

Theyareactingnotoutofsenseoflegaldutybutoutofasenseofhumandecency.Likeour

soldiersandsailorsinallpartsoftheworldtheyaremeetingfreedom'schallengeon

thefiringline,andIsalutethemfortheirhonorandtheircourage.

MyfellowAmericans,thisisaproblemwhichfacesusallineverycityoftheNorthaswell

astheSouth.Today,thereareNegroesunemployed,twoorthreetimesasmanycomparedto

whites,inadequateeducation,movingintothelargecities,unabletofindwork,youngpeople

particularlyoutofworkwithouthope,deniedequalrights,deniedtheopportunitytoeatata

restaurantoralunchcounterorgotoamovietheater,deniedtheright

toadecenteducation,deniedalmosttodaytherighttoattendaStateuniversityeventhoughqualified.

Itseemstomethatthesearematterswhichconcernusall,notmerelyPresidentsorCongressmenor

Governors,buteverycitizenoftheUnitedStates.

Thisisonecount