At the end of 1962, President John F. Kennedy asked his brother, Attorney General Robert
Kennedy, to compile a report on the Civil Rights enforcement activities of the Justice
Department over the previous year. In this report, submitted on January 24, 1963, Robert
Kennedy notes “progress” overall, but reminds the President that difficult race problems remain
“not only in the South . . . but throughout the country.”
Though the year was marked by the deadly riots at the University of Mississippi over the
admittance of a black student, Kennedy maintains a sense of optimism and hope for the future.
He calls 1962 “a year of great progress in civil rights, in large measure because of the
responsibility and respect for law displayed by the great majority of the citizens of the South.”
He does not deny, however, that many difficult problems remain, and he cites the disregard of
voting rights and regulations in some southern states as a continuing problem desperately in need
of reform.
Kennedy also notes progress made in African American employment and the desegregation of
schools and public transportation. For these gains he credits the increasing cooperation of the
southern people and calls this “the emerging spirit of the South.” Evident throughout his report is
his faith that the people and the government of the United States will be able to accomplish their
objectives through persistence and compassion. The report reflects the true purpose of the Civil
Rights Movement: to fight racism and apathy in order to enact positive change and ultimately
gain equal rights.
Kennedy was correct in believing that the Civil Rights Movement would continue to advance.
The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed racial
discrimination and removed many voting obstacles for African Americans.
