How did James Meredith and Martin Luther King Jr. prompt President Kennedy to advance civil rights?

James Meredith and Martin Luther King Jr. played pivotal roles in prompting President John F. Kennedy to advance civil rights in the United States through high-profile activism and by challenging the federal government to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of African Americans.

1. James Meredith: In 1962, James Meredith was an African American man who sought to enroll at the University of Mississippi, an institution that was, at the time, segregated and only admitted white students. When Meredith was barred from entering the university despite a court order that upheld his right to attend, it sparked a crisis. President Kennedy responded to the situation by sending federal troops to enforce Meredith's admission, asserting the federal government's commitment to civil rights and equal protection under the law. This enforcement of civil rights legislation not only allowed Meredith to attend the university but also indicated to the country that the federal government would intervene when necessary to guarantee civil rights.

2. Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King Jr. was a central figure in the civil rights movement and led numerous peaceful protests and campaigns to end segregation and racist policies in the United States. One of the most significant moments was the Birmingham Campaign in 1963, where King and other activists faced extreme police brutality while advocating for desegregation. The response to the protests, particularly the violence against the demonstrators, was widely televised, bringing national attention to the civil rights movement and increasing public pressure on President Kennedy to take a stronger stance on civil rights issues.

The actions of both Meredith and King highlighted the racial injustices occurring in the United States and put pressure on President Kennedy to take a more active role in advancing civil rights. As a result, Kennedy delivered a landmark civil rights speech on June 11, 1963, and later that year, he proposed what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a comprehensive civil rights law that prohibited racial discrimination.