AmericanRhetoric.

com
JohnF.Kennedy
CivilRightsAddress

Delivered11June1963
AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio

Goodevening,myfellowcitizens: Thisafternoon,followingaseriesofthreatsanddefiantstatements,thepresenceofAlabama NationalGuardsmenwasrequiredontheUniversityofAlabamatocarryoutthefinaland unequivocalorderoftheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtoftheNorthernDistrictofAlabama.That ordercalledfortheadmissionoftwoclearlyqualifiedyoungAlabamaresidentswhohappened tohavebeenbornNegro.Thattheywereadmittedpeacefullyonthecampusisdueingood measuretotheconductofthestudentsoftheUniversityofAlabama,whomettheir responsibilitiesinaconstructiveway. IhopethateveryAmerican,regardlessofwherehelives,willstopandexaminehis conscienceaboutthisandotherrelatedincidents.ThisNationwasfoundedbymenofmany nationsandbackgrounds.Itwasfoundedontheprinciplethatallmenarecreatedequal,and thattherightsofeverymanarediminishedwhentherightsofonemanarethreatened. Today,wearecommittedtoaworldwidestruggletopromoteandprotecttherightsofallwho wishtobefree.AndwhenAmericansaresenttoVietnamorWestBerlin,wedonotaskfor whitesonly.Itoughtabepossible,therefore,forAmericanstudentsofanycolortoattendany publicinstitutiontheyselectwithouthavingtobebackedupbytroops.Itoughtatobe possibleforAmericanconsumersofanycolortoreceiveequalserviceinplacesofpublic accommodation,suchashotelsandrestaurantsandtheatersandretailstores,withoutbeing forcedtoresorttodemonstrationsinthestreet,anditoughtabepossibleforAmerican citizensofanycolortoregisterandtovoteinafreeelectionwithoutinterferenceorfearof reprisal.Itoughtatobepossible,inshort,foreveryAmericantoenjoytheprivilegesofbeing Americanwithoutregardtohisraceorhiscolor.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

Page1

AmericanRhetoric.com
Inshort,everyAmericanoughttohavetherighttobetreatedashewouldwishtobetreated, asonewouldwishhischildrentobetreated.Butthisisnotthecase. TheNegrobabyborninAmericatoday,regardlessofthesectionoftheStateinwhichheis born,hasaboutonehalfasmuchchanceofcompletingahighschoolasawhitebabybornin thesameplaceonthesameday,onethirdasmuchchanceofcompletingcollege,onethird asmuchchanceofbecomingaprofessionalman,twiceasmuchchanceofbecoming unemployed,aboutoneseventhasmuchchanceofearning$10,000ayear,alifeexpectancy whichis7yearsshorter,andtheprospectsofearningonlyhalfasmuch. Thisisnotasectionalissue.Difficultiesoversegregationanddiscriminationexistineverycity, ineveryStateoftheUnion,producinginmanycitiesarisingtideofdiscontentthatthreatens thepublicsafety.Noristhisapartisanissue.Inatimeofdomesticcrisismenofgoodwilland generosityshouldbeabletouniteregardlessofpartyorpolitics.Thisisnotevenalegalor legislativeissuealone.Itisbettertosettlethesemattersinthecourtsthanonthestreets, andnewlawsareneededateverylevel,butlawalonecannotmakemenseeright.Weare confrontedprimarilywithamoralissue.ItisasoldastheScripturesandisasclearasthe AmericanConstitution. TheheartofthequestioniswhetherallAmericansaretobeaffordedequalrightsandequal opportunities,whetherwearegoingtotreatourfellowAmericansaswewanttobetreated.If anAmerican,becausehisskinisdark,cannoteatlunchinarestaurantopentothepublic,if hecannotsendhischildrentothebestpublicschoolavailable,ifhecannotvoteforthepublic officialswhowillrepresenthim,if,inshort,hecannotenjoythefullandfreelifewhichallof uswant,thenwhoamonguswouldbecontenttohavethecolorofhisskinchangedand standinhisplace?Whoamonguswouldthenbecontentwiththecounselsofpatienceand delay? OnehundredyearsofdelayhavepassedsincePresidentLincolnfreedtheslaves,yettheir heirs,theirgrandsons,arenotfullyfree.Theyarenotyetfreedfromthebondsofinjustice. Theyarenotyetfreedfromsocialandeconomicoppression.AndthisNation,forallitshopes andallitsboasts,willnotbefullyfreeuntilallitscitizensarefree. Wepreachfreedomaroundtheworld,andwemeanit,andwecherishourfreedomhereat home,butarewetosaytotheworld,andmuchmoreimportantly,toeachotherthatthisis thelandofthefreeexceptfortheNegroesthatwehavenosecondclasscitizensexcept Negroesthatwehavenoclassorcastesystem,noghettoes,nomasterraceexceptwith respecttoNegroes? NowthetimehascomeforthisNationtofulfillitspromise.TheeventsinBirminghamand elsewherehavesoincreasedthecriesforequalitythatnocityorStateorlegislativebodycan prudentlychoosetoignorethem.Thefiresoffrustrationanddiscordareburningineverycity, NorthandSouth,wherelegalremediesarenotathand.Redressissoughtinthestreets,in demonstrations,parades,andprotestswhichcreatetensionsandthreatenviolenceand threatenlives.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

Page2

AmericanRhetoric.com
Weface,therefore,amoralcrisisasacountryandapeople.Itcannotbemetbyrepressive policeaction.Itcannotbelefttoincreaseddemonstrationsinthestreets.Itcannotbequieted bytokenmovesortalk.ItisatimetoactintheCongress,inyourStateandlocallegislative bodyand,aboveall,inallofourdailylives.Itisnotenoughtopintheblameonothers,to saythisaproblemofonesectionofthecountryoranother,ordeplorethefactsthatweface. Agreatchangeisathand,andourtask,ourobligation,istomakethatrevolution,that change,peacefulandconstructiveforall.Thosewhodonothingareinvitingshame,aswellas violence.Thosewhoactboldlyarerecognizingright,aswellasreality. NextweekIshallasktheCongressoftheUnitedStatestoact,tomakeacommitmentithas notfullymadeinthiscenturytothepropositionthatracehasnoplaceinAmericanlifeorlaw. TheFederaljudiciaryhasupheldthatpropositioninaseriesofforthrightcases.TheExecutive Branchhasadoptedthatpropositionintheconductofitsaffairs,includingtheemploymentof Federalpersonnel,theuseofFederalfacilities,andthesaleoffederallyfinancedhousing.But thereareothernecessarymeasureswhichonlytheCongresscanprovide,andtheymustbe providedatthissession.Theoldcodeofequitylawunderwhichwelivecommandsforevery wrongaremedy,butintoomanycommunities,intoomanypartsofthecountry,wrongsare inflictedonNegrocitizensandtherearenoremediesatlaw.UnlesstheCongressacts,their onlyremedyisthestreet. Iam,therefore,askingtheCongresstoenactlegislationgivingallAmericanstherighttobe servedinfacilitieswhichareopentothepublichotels,restaurants,theaters,retailstores, andsimilarestablishments.Thisseemstometobeanelementaryright.Itsdenialisan arbitraryindignitythatnoAmericanin1963shouldhavetoendure,butmanydo. Ihaverecentlymetwithscoresofbusinessleadersurgingthemtotakevoluntaryactionto endthisdiscrimination,andIhavebeenencouragedbytheirresponse,andinthelasttwo weeksover75citieshaveseenprogressmadeindesegregatingthesekindsoffacilities.But manyareunwillingtoactalone,andforthisreason,nationwidelegislationisneededifweare tomovethisproblemfromthestreetstothecourts. I'malsoaskingtheCongresstoauthorizetheFederalGovernmenttoparticipatemorefullyin lawsuitsdesignedtoendsegregationinpubliceducation.Wehavesucceededinpersuading manydistrictstodesegregatevoluntarily.DozenshaveadmittedNegroeswithoutviolence. Today,aNegroisattendingaStatesupportedinstitutionineveryoneofour50States,but thepaceisveryslow. ToomanyNegrochildrenenteringsegregatedgradeschoolsatthetimeoftheSupreme Court'sdecisionnineyearsagowillentersegregatedhighschoolsthisfall,havingsuffereda losswhichcanneverberestored.ThelackofanadequateeducationdeniestheNegroa chancetogetadecentjob. TheorderlyimplementationoftheSupremeCourtdecision,therefore,cannotbeleftsolelyto thosewhomaynothavetheeconomicresourcestocarrythelegalactionorwhomaybe subjecttoharassment.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

Page3

AmericanRhetoric.com
Otherfeatureswillbealsorequested,includinggreaterprotectionfortherighttovote.But legislation,Irepeat,cannotsolvethisproblemalone.Itmustbesolvedinthehomesofevery Americanineverycommunityacrossourcountry.InthisrespectIwannapaytributetothose citizensNorthandSouthwho'vebeenworkingintheircommunitiestomakelifebetterforall. Theyareactingnotoutofsenseoflegaldutybutoutofasenseofhumandecency.Likeour soldiersandsailorsinallpartsoftheworldtheyaremeetingfreedom'schallengeonthefiring line,andIsalutethemfortheirhonorandtheircourage. MyfellowAmericans,thisisaproblemwhichfacesusallineverycityoftheNorthaswell astheSouth.Today,thereareNegroesunemployed,twoorthreetimesasmanycomparedto whites,inadequateeducation,movingintothelargecities,unabletofindwork,youngpeople particularlyoutofworkwithouthope,deniedequalrights,deniedtheopportunitytoeatata restaurantoralunchcounterorgotoamovietheater,deniedtherighttoadecenteducation, deniedalmosttodaytherighttoattendaStateuniversityeventhoughqualified.Itseemsto methatthesearematterswhichconcernusall,notmerelyPresidentsorCongressmenor Governors,buteverycitizenoftheUnitedStates. Thisisonecountry.Ithasbecomeonecountrybecauseallofusandallthepeoplewhocame herehadanequalchancetodeveloptheirtalents.Wecannotsaytotenpercentofthe populationthatyoucan'thavethatrightthatyourchildrencannothavethechanceto developwhatevertalentstheyhavethattheonlywaythattheyaregoingtogettheirrights istogointhestreetanddemonstrate.Ithinkweowethemandweoweourselvesabetter countrythanthat. Therefore,I'maskingforyourhelpinmakingiteasierforustomoveaheadandtoprovide thekindofequalityoftreatmentwhichwewouldwantourselvestogiveachanceforevery childtobeeducatedtothelimitofhistalents. AsI'vesaidbefore,noteverychildhasanequaltalentoranequalabilityorequalmotivation, buttheyshouldhavetheequalrighttodeveloptheirtalentandtheirabilityandtheir motivation,tomakesomethingofthemselves. WehavearighttoexpectthattheNegrocommunitywillberesponsible,willupholdthelaw, buttheyhavearighttoexpectthatthelawwillbefair,thattheConstitutionwillbecolor blind,asJusticeHarlansaidattheturnofthecentury. Thisiswhatwe'retalkingaboutandthisisamatterwhichconcernsthiscountryandwhatit standsfor,andinmeetingitIaskthesupportofallourcitizens. Thankyouverymuch.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

Page4