The legacy of John F. Kennedy

and Martin Luther King

 

John F. Kennedy During his childhood and youth, suffered frequent serious illnesses.

Nevertheless, he strove to make his own way, writing a best-selling book while still in

college at Harvard and volunteering for hazardous combat duty in the Pacific during

World War II.  Kennedy was the youngest person elected U.S. President and the first

Roman Catholic to serve in that office. The promise of this energetic and telegenic

leader was not to be fulfilled, as he was assassinated near the end of his third year

in office. For many Americans, the public murder of President Kennedy remains one

of the most traumatic events in memory countless Americans can remember exactly

where they were when they heard that President Kennedy had been shot. His 

shocking death stood at the forefront of a period of political and social instability in

the country and the world. (Krity Schantz)

 

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both

a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the

United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC.

Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of

African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation, as well as the

creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received

the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in

April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American 

leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream." (Martín

Luther King) 

 

Half a century ago, President John F. Kennedy asked his fellow citizens that the government can not ask how they could solve the problems but they were able to serve their country. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and died in search of a dream, which included the conquest of civil rights for blacks, but also the survival of a united nation where we were all really really equal before the law. Both fought for harmony between people who think and feel differently. (Lucy Pérez)

 

Reference:

• Kristy Schantz. (2012). Miller Center . 18 de Enero del 2015, de University of Virginia Sitio web: http://millercenter.org/president

• Lucy Pérez (Habanera soy). (2011). El legado de John F. Kennedy y Martin Luther King, Jr.. 11 de enero del 2015, de Diario Las Americas Sitio web: https://uvadearagon.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/el-legado-de-john-f-kennedy-y-martin-luther-king-jr/

• Martin Luther King Jr. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 07:33, Apr 18, 2015, fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086.