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Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-097-003
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the Kennedy administration's efforts to confront and eliminate racially motivated discriminatory practices and ideology, such as segregation, the denial of voting rights, and discriminatory employment practices. Materials in this folder include handwritten notes by the President, a memorandum and itinerary for the President's meetings with various civil rights leaders, and memoranda from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to Burke Marshall, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, concerning desegregation efforts by religious leaders in Miami, Florida. The majority of the materials concern the President's message to Congress on the proposed Civil Rights Act of 1963, including a copy of the speech and drafts by Special Counsel and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-045-005
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's radio and television address on civil rights. In his speech the President responds to the threats of violence and obstruction on the University of Alabama campus following desegregation attempts, explaining that the United States was founded on the principle that all men are created equal and thus, all American students are entitled to attend public educational institutions, regardless of race. He also discusses how discrimination affects education, public safety, and international relations, noting that the country cannot preach freedom internationally while ignoring it domestically. The President asks Congress to enact legislation protecting all Americans' voting rights, legal standing, educational opportunities, and access to public facilities, but recognizes that legislation alone cannot solve the country's problems concerning race relations. Materials in this folder include a memorandum, drafts by Special Counsel and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen with handwritten notations by the President, in addition to copies of newspaper clippings concerning civil rights articles and notes of suggested remarks handwritten by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-040-028
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's radio and television address to the nation regarding desegregation and racially motivated violence at the University of Mississippi. In his speech the President regrets the necessity for any action by the Federal Government, but explains that the freedom to disagree with the law does not include the freedom to disobey it. He calls upon the citizens of Mississippi to allow student James Meredith an equal opportunity for education by upholding their tradition of honor and courage. Materials in this folder include various memoranda, drafts by Special Counsel and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen, a press copy, and a reading copy of the speech, in addition to press copies of a telegram to Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett and an executive order authorizing the removal of obstructions of justice.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-112-003
Sound recording of three meetings. The first is a Cabinet meeting held on September 23, 1963, during which members of several departments brief President John F. Kennedy and each other on topics of particular interest, including private wheat sales to the Soviet Union and relevant political issues, Secretary McNamara and General Taylor's mission to South Vietnam, federal employment, and the economic outlook heading into 1964. Meeting participants include President Kennedy; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Acting Secretary of State George Ball; Herbert Miller for the Attorney General; Acting Postmaster General Sidney Bishop; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman; Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges; Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz; Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Anthony Celebrezze; Director of the Bureau of the Budget Kermit Gordon; Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner; Special Assistant to the President Timothy J. ("Ted") Reardon; Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy; and Special Counsel to the President Ted Sorensen.Second is a brief meeting on civil rights held on September 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division Burke Marshall. One segment of this recording totaling 16 seconds has been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526.
Third is part of a meeting held on September 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and several city leaders from Birmingham, Alabama, including Dr. Landon Miller, W.C. Hamilton, Caldwell Marks, Frank Newton, and Don Hawkins. They discuss civil rights issues in Birmingham. The recording of this meeting ends abruptly and continues on Tape 113. Please note that this meeting was previously made available for review in 1984.
This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 112, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 112 in its entirety or the remainder of recording of the third meeting on Tape 113.