In return, Vandiver declared his preference for the senator and vowed to lead Georgia into the Kennedy column on Election Day. Kennedy promised Governor Vandiver that as president he would never use federal troops to force Georgia to desegregate its schools. After the Democratic National Convention in July, he began shoring up his reputation among Southern leaders, meeting privately with them to allay fears that he would be an aggressive civil rights president. The senator had to walk a fine line: show decency to a black man without alienating the white community.ĭuring the presidential campaign, Kennedy raised suspicions in the black community by his blatant courtship of Southern white support. But if he acted on King’s behalf, he risked a vicious backlash from Southern whites. If Kennedy were able to play a decisive role in King’s release, the black community was likely to reward him with an outpouring of support. In a meeting with Kennedy just weeks earlier, King had urged the senator to take some dramatic action to prove to blacks that his commitment to their cause was genuine. Kennedy was motivated by his outrage, by his sympathy for the King family, and by bald political calculation.
JFK QUOTE ABOUT CHANGE FREE
Some quiet, back-channel way had to be found to free the civil rights leader. On that same Wednesday morning, Senator John Kennedy phoned the governor of Georgia, Ernest Vandiver. If he were put to hard labor, as the judge had ordered, he would work side by side in a road gang with ruthless white criminals, many of them killers who had nothing to lose and everything to gain-national notoriety and prison respect-by murdering a black celebrity. By dawn, King discovered he had been granted a less evil fate as the squad car turned into the maximum security state prison in Reidsville.īut his danger was far from over. An hour passed, and he realized he was deep into “cracker” country where no one protested a lynching. had no idea where the two deputies were taking him. On that early Wednesday morning, Martin Luther King Jr. King, “we would really see where these guys stand.” The students’ passion-and conscience-were impossible for Martin Luther King Jr. King being involved in it,” said student leader Lonnie C. If King were arrested with dozens of young protesters, then both contenders would have no choice but to speak out. King advised the students to hold off until after the presidential election now just weeks away but the students saw an opportunity to force the candidates to address the issue of segregation. The young activists urged King to come along-and go to jail with them-to draw attention to their campaign. Its target was one of Atlanta’s venerable institutions, Rich’s department store its goal: to desegregate the store’s snack bars and restaurants. The SNCC was well-organized and impatient. But the band of youths, members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, insisted. King hadn’t wanted to join the student-led sit-in. She was six months pregnant with their third child, and she had already had an emotional week. It was well received by the audience and we both made sure to encourage people to check out your work.Like all black men, King feared the chilling portent of a late-night drive into the countryside it had happened to others, the stories he’d heard were horrific.Īt home in Atlanta, Coretta King knew nothing of her husband’s ominous ride. PS – Was giving a presentation with Olivia Schofield in Antwerp, Belgium a week ago and she showed your wonderful “Lead with the Heart” video clip. Thanks again for the interest and support. But first, I will keep my eye out for a source for Kennedy and will let you know if I am successful. I might have to make the same adjustment on this one. It has often been attributed to Winston Churchill but it is not certain that Churchill ever said it. In fact, a similar issue arose in another quote that I posted not all that long ago. But I cannot give you a definitive reference. In this case, I looked at sites such as Ethos3 and others. When I see a quote that I think would be a good fit for the blog, I search it on several sites to be (reasonably) sure that it is accurate. Whenever I see something you’ve written (be it this comment or otherwise), I sit up and take notice.
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