JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress.mp3

President Kennedy's historic broadcast to the Nation, in its entirety, delivered the evening JFK ordered the Alabama National Guard to enforce integration at the University of Alabama, and containing his call for broad new civil rights legislation that was ultimately to become enacted as the Civil Rights Bill.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
01NationalGuardCalledToUniversityOfAlabama.mp3

From the above, the President announces his sending the Alabama National Guard to the University of Alabama to enforce integration.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
02'ItOughtToBePossible'.mp3

From the same as the above, the President declares that the right of blacks to expect equal treatment ought to be self apparent.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-03NegroStatistics.mp3

From the same as the above, the President cites statistics of the oppressive health, economic and educational conditions blacks in America are subject to.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-04'AMoralIssue'.mp3

From the same as the above, the President defines the civil rights issue as being beyond sectional, partisan, legal and legislative definitions.

JFK630611CivilRightsSpeech.wav

A continuation of the above, proceeding from the President's definition of the civil rights issue to an admission that "a great change is at hand".

RealVideo G2 Version

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-05'FullyFree'.mp3

From the same as the above, an illustration of how blacks are not fully free and an appeal to consider what it would be like for whites to "stand in" for them.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-06'ExceptNegroes'.mp3

From the same as the above, a comparison of what the nation says to the world and what it says to itself about freedom.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-07'AMoralCrisis'.mp3

From the same as the above, the President declares the nation faces is "a moral crisis as a country and as a people".

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-08RightAndReality.mp3

From the same as the above, the President declares "a great change is at hand" and that the obligation of the nation is "to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all".

RealVideo G2 Version

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
09CivilRightsActAnnounced.mp3

From the same as the above, the President announces his new, sweeping civil rights legislation proposal.

JFK-CivilRightsActNationalAddress-
10'I'mAskingForYourHelp'.mp3
(Archived 5/31/01)

From the same as the above, the President appeals to the citizenry for their support in helping to pass his proposed civil rights legislation.

JFK-BirminghamCrisisTerminates630513.mp3
(Archived 5/31/01)

The President announces that the business community in Birmingham Alabama has made an agreement with civil rights leaders to begin desegregation of the cities facilities.