MEDIA ADVISORY
June 1, 2023
Media Contact:
Matt Porter
617-514-1574
press@jfklfoundation.org
www.jfklibrary.org
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to Give Keynote Address During Special 60th Anniversary Commemoration of
JFK’s June 11, 1963 Speech on Civil Rights
— Holder will be joined by a panel of experts including MA AG Andrea Joy Campbell to discuss the intersection of law and activism —
BOSTON – Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. will give the keynote address at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum during a special commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s June 11, 1963 speech on civil rights: An Unfinished Agenda: President Kennedy and Civil Rights, 60 Years Later.
Following the keynote address, there will be a panel discussion including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and President and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts Rahsaan Hall. Their conversation will be moderated by Senior Opinion Writer for the Boston Globe Kimberly Atkins Stohr.
In a nationally televised address in June 1963, President Kennedy addressed the most urgent domestic issue of the time: the struggle to guarantee civil rights for all Americans. In his speech, President Kennedy implored a nation divided by race, to rise to the challenge of that moment, to create a society in which all its citizens were afforded equal opportunity under the law.
“The Civil Rights Movement represented a significant challenge for President Kennedy’s leadership, but with this speech, he sought to lay the foundation for the protection of civil rights for generations to come,” said JFK Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor. “We encourage people to join us online for a special commemoration of this important moment in the historical timeline of social justice in America.”
Joining the JFK Library Foundation, a host committee of Boston community leaders and organizations have partnered for the event. Host committee members include:
Tanisha Sullivan, President of the Boston NAACP
Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, City of Boston
Quincy Miller, President, Eastern Bankshares, Inc.; Vice Chair and President, Eastern Bank
The Honorable Ayanna Pressley, United States House of Representatives, MA-07
Dr. Jeffrey Lopes, President, Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers (MAMLEO)
Dr. Imari Paris Jeffries, Executive Director, Embrace Boston
View the complete list of host committee members.
The event is open to invited guests only, but will be live streamed on YouTube and on LinkedIn.
Members of the press are invited to attend and asked to RSVP by emailing press@jfklfoundation.org.
Where:
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Stephen E. Smith Hall
When:
Friday, June 9, 2023
1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
The livestream link can be found at: https://www.jfklibrary.org/an-unfinished-agenda
About The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is the non-profit partner and creative collaborator of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, which is administered by the United States National Archives and Records Administration. Over the past forty years, this partnership has produced world class exhibits, the largest, most advanced digital archive created by a presidential library, award-winning educational and digital resources, and public programs that make the Library the largest convener of public dialogues in the Boston area. Grounded in the archival evidence, these activities promote a greater appreciation of America’s political and cultural heritage, help people understand the major challenges facing democracy today, and inspire new generations to engage with the issues at the heart of contemporary life that relate to the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.