'Legacy Of President Lyndon Johnson In The Film Selma'

816 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analyses of the movie Selma

From 1954 to 1968, African-Americans in the United States fought with great strength so they could have the right to vote. Not only this, but they also fought for equal rights and the end of segregation. To achieve this multiple activists lead people to fight against this. However, the one that brought incredible change and a great fight was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The film “Selma” unveils the trajectory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his fight against racism and equality in America. This essay will discuss what Dr. King, Jr.’s relationship with President Lyndon Johnson and the Government, how president Lyndon Johnson was portrayed in the film, and how the different organizations and its people behaved with one another. President Lyndon …show more content…

Martin King to proceed with the Civil Rights Movement, however he does not want it to escalate to what might become a problem for him. As a result, President Johnson targets his family with false rumors regarding King. He specifically targets his wife, Coretta King, and their marriage in efforts to “dismantle the family.” He succeeds his attacks and causes Martin to have disagreements with Coretta. Looking at the relationship between the President and King and his efforts to upset King’s family, it is noticeable that their relationship hurts the Civil Rights …show more content…

President Johnson did not want his legacy to be compared to George Wallace’s legacy, which he expresses when he tells George Wallace, “I’ll be dammed to let history put me in the same place as the likes of you.” This indicates that President Johnson hoped that his presidency would leave a big mark on America and its history. President Johnson’s wish was accomplished when he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Act led to the end of racial discrimination in the country, it was now illegal to discriminate people because of their color, among other

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Jackie Robinson's Letter To President Lyndon B. Johnson

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    Then, the speaker of this letter is Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player in America. However, without Robinson as the speaker this text wouldn’t be preserved as it is today, specifically if the speaker was a little known person of color or even a white person speaking on the behalf of the black community. The audience includes President Lyndon B. Johnson directly; then Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York; and lastly the people of America, the black community, and those fighting for civil rights. This audience is important because if Robinson hadn’t written to the President, and indirectly to the others, then, similarly with the speaker, the text might not be as preserved or well-known nor carry the same influence it has. The subject, as mentioned before for the text’s purpose, is the Civil Rights Movement and the President’s involvement in it during the Vietnam War, which is affects the text as Robinson is a

    Read More

  • Fleet Walker Vs. Jackie Robinson Comparison

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the course of American history, there have been many historical figures who have been responsible for, or were a part of, the gradual change of our nation. In the early to mid 1900's, the United States was racially segregated, and African Americans were looked at as second class citizens. In the mid-1900's, a time period which is now known as the Civil Rights Movement, there were a number of different people who helped lead the charge to desegregate the United States. Some of the historical figures, whose names are synonymous with the Civil Rights Movement, include political activist Martin Luther King, NAACP officer Medgar Evers, Baptist minister Malcolm X, and normal citizen Rosa Parks. All of these people were a very large part of the Civil Rights Movement and attempted to recognize African Americans as equals to Whites.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Letter From Birmingham Jail

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Recently you have received a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In Dr. King’s letter he illustrates the motives and reasoning for the extremist action of the Civil Rights movement throughout the 1960’s. In the course of Dr. King’s letter to you, he uses rhetorical questioning and logistical reasoning, imagery and metaphors, and many other rhetorical devices to broaden your perspectives. I am writing this analysis in hopes you might reconsider the current stance you have taken up regarding the issues at hand.

    Read More

  • Rankings of Presidents Based on Domestic Policy and Foreign Policy

    3331 Words  | 7 Pages

    During Johnson’s presidency, the federal government significantly extended its domestic responsibilities in attempt to transform the nation to what Johnson called the “Great Society,” in which poverty and racial intolerance ceased to exist. A previously unsurpassed amount of legislation was passed during this time; numerous laws were passed to protect the environment, keep consumers safe, reduce unfairness in education, improve housing in urban areas, provide more assistance to the elderly with health care, and other policies to improve welfare. Johnson called for a “War on Poverty,” and directed more funds to help the poor; government spending towards the poor increased from six billion in 1964 to twenty-four and a half billion dollars in 1968. Not only did Johnson improve the American economy and greatly reduce poverty, but he also advocated for racial equality; he managed to get Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making segregation illegal in public accommodations/institutions. He also enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, prohibiting literacy tests in areas in which the amount of voters was under a certain number, which forced many southern states to allow more blacks to vote. As a result of his presidency, the poor and minorities enjoyed significant benefits from the more favorable legislations and more successful American legislation.

    Read More

  • Lyndon B Johnson Use Of Ethos Pathos Logos

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    On March 15, 1965 in Washington D.C ……..the courageous President Lyndon B. Johnson has delivered a legendary speech. It was called, “We shall overcome.” The speech came into conjunction, after the sad death of a black protester in Selma, Alabama. The protest was over black voting rights. Blacks were simply discriminated against voting rights on the basis of their skin color. Johnson’s aspiration for the “we shall overcome” speech, was to convince the congress, Americans, to pass his bill. This would be beneficial by enabling blacks to vote. Johnson is widely known for his effective use of ethos, logos, and pathos to engage the crowd.

    Read More

  • Mlk Jr. Apostle Of Militant Nonviolence

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many students generally only learn of Dr. King’s success, and rarely ever of his failures, but Colaiaco shows of the failures of Dr. King once he started moving farther North. In the book, Colaiaco presents the successes that Dr. King has achieved throughout his work for Civil Rights. The beginning of Dr. King’s nonviolent civil rights movement started in Montgomery, Alabama, when Rosa Parks refused to move for a white person, violating the city’s transportation rules. After Parks was convicted, Dr. King, who was 26 at the time, was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). “For 381 days, thousands of blacks walked to work, some as many as 12 miles a day, rather than continue to submit to segregated public transportation” (18).

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis: Lyndon Johnson's Speech

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    He told the citizens that he was concerned about everyone, no matter of race, gender, or religion. Throughout the speech, Lyndon Johnson reminded the nation that he wanted to solve the problem with the nation together. He sees the racial discrimination not only as injustice, but is also denying America and dishonoring the people who gave their lives for the freedom of America (Johnson 2). By doing this, he persuaded the people with emotions and wanted them to support his idea of the civil rights, which promised everyone the right to register to vote without having any problems. It had finally led to an end to the illegal barriers under the 15th Amendment and allowed African Americans to vote without any knowledge or character test.

    Read More

  • Lyndon B Johnson Argumentative Essay

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    He was also a huge factor in helping abolish discrimination. By signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Johnson made it clear that discrimination in the United States was coming to an end. Then, he signed the Voting Rights Act, which gave all Americans the right to vote regardless of a person’s race, a person’s color, or a person’s knowledge. After that, he abolished the poll tax which stated that citizens no longer had to pay a tax to go to the polls and vote for a president. He was also the president during the Vietnam War.

    Read More

  • The Selma-Montgomery March

    2478 Words  | 5 Pages

    Garrow, David J. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. New York: New Haven and London Yale University Press. 1978

    Read More

  • Civil Rights Movement: The Selma March

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Garrow, David. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Voting rights act of 1965. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1978. 135-147. Print.√

    Read More

  • Racism in America - Past and Present

    2883 Words  | 6 Pages

    Whenever people discuss race relations today and the effect of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, they remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was and continues to be one of the most i...

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Successful Philosophy

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nearly three centuries ago, black men and women from Africa were brought to America and put into slavery. They were treated more cruelly in the United States than in any other country that had practiced slavery. African Americans didn’t gain their freedom until after the Civil War, nearly one-hundred years later. Even though African Americans were freed and the constitution was amended to guarantee racial equality, they were still not treated the same as whites and were thought of as second class citizens. One man had the right idea on how to change America, Martin Luther King Jr. had the best philosophy for advancing civil rights, he preached nonviolence to express the need for change in America and he united both African Americans and whites together to fight for economic and social equality.

    Read More

  • Music Played Key Role in US Civil Rights Movement

    3700 Words  | 8 Pages

    Kirk, J. (2007). Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement: controversies and debates. Basingstoke New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Read More

  • Comparing Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1955, Martin Luther King, Jr., fought for the civil rights of the black population in America.

    Read More

  • Essay On Civil Rights Movement

    2889 Words  | 6 Pages

    However, these African American citizens had remarkable courage to never stop, until these un-just laws were changed and they received what they had been fighting for all along, their inalienable rights as human beings and to be equal to all other human beings. Up until this very day there are still racial issues where some people feel supreme over other people due to race. That, however, is an issue that may never end. African Americans fought until the Jim Crow laws were taken out of effect, and they received equality for all people regardless of race. Along the way, there were many controversial court cases and important leaders who helped to take a stand against racial segregation.

    Read More

More about 'Legacy Of President Lyndon Johnson In The Film Selma'

Open Document