Review of Kotz's Book, Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America.

1276 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Martin Luther King Jr Influence On People

Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America. Judgment Days chronicles how Johnson and King seemed fated to lead the collapse of America's segregation views. The reader is first introduced to Johnson, the master politician soon after President Kennedy’s catastrophic assassination. Kotz shows how LBJ makes his way through this crisis to seize the moment and take the reins of the nation. He then focuses on the agony King and his family felt upon hearing the news of Kennedy's premature death. Abruptly, Kotz shifts back in time to study the early lives of the two crucial figures and provides a broad perspective of the civil rights movement and the complex relationship between Johnson and King and how these two individuals were swept up in a time of monumental change. These astounding men were complete opposites tied only by their experience with southern culture and their need to help those who were on the margins of society in regard to wealth and opportunity. Their relationship was complex and difficult for many to understand, a fragile mix of professionalism and interdependence. This relationship would help to proliferate one of the greatest movements of social change in U.S. history. Kotz discusses how Johnson's memories of the depravation of his poverty-stricken farm life with his father in the western hill country of Texas and the impoverished Mexican Americans in his home region influenced his later decisions. Kotz reveals how a feeling of inadequacy gripped LBJ's psyche. This feeling of inadequacy sometimes drove Johnson into periods of dark depression. Yet it also encouraged him to ignore the intellectual shackles of southern traditions of racial prejudice a... ... middle of paper ... ...d disapproval of the American political system. The volume successfully captures King's distress at being the target of Hoover's FBI. It also depicts the seeming incomprehensibility of becoming a target of assassination. Regardless of the book's subtitle, it focuses on only three laws passed throughout the Johnson presidency, while failing to discuss others that are equally important to LBJ's legacy. Among those mostly ignored are the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the Social Security Act of 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Meanwhile, Kotz only outwardly addresses Johnson's nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court and the impact this appointment has had on the determining of public policy.

Show More
Related

  • Vann Woodward's The Strange Career of Jim Crow

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1955, C. Vann Woodward published the first edition of his book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow. The book garnered immediate recognition and success with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eventually calling it, “the historical Bible of the civil rights movement.” An endorsement like this one from such a prominent and respect figure in American history makes one wonder if they will find anything in the book to criticize or any faults to point out. However, with two subsequent editions of the book, one in August 1965 and another in October 1973—each adding new chapters as the Civil Rights movement progressed—one wonders if Dr. King’s assessment still holds up, if indeed The Strange Career of Jim Crow is still the historical bible of the civil rights movement. In addition, one questions the objectivity of the book considering that it gained endorsements from figures who were promoting a cause and because Woodward had also promoted that same cause.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for having a protest without a proper permit. On the exact day King was arrested, eight clergymen from Alabama wrote a letter called “A Call for Unity.” The letter called for termination of civil activities and demonstrations and designated King an “outsider” and saying that outsiders were the problems in Birmingham and not the blacks that are from there. On April 16 King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which was his responds to his fellow clergymen. He wrote the letter as a means to convince the clergymen and the white moderate that the nonviolent demonstrations that had got him arrested, were a necessity and to enlighten them on why the segregation laws in the southern states needed to be changed. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King uses logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the clergymen and convince them in assisting him in putting an end to segregation laws of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama.

    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

  • A Comparison of Letter From Birmingham City Jail and I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lischer, Richard The Preacher King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the word that moved America Oxford University Press: 1995. Print

    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 and American Liberalism

    352 Words  | 1 Pages

    This book follows Johnsons political career, from a eager hard-working congressional secretary to the landslide victor of the 1964 presidential election. It discusses his "liberal" political views, It seems as though Johnson thought he could help the American people single-handedly and he seemed determined to do it. Johnson is He is praised for his vast legislative record and his stand on poverty and eventually, civil rights. He is criticized for his methods and

    Read More

  • Mr. Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable.

    Read More

  • Lyndon Johnson's Administration

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the LBJ administration, Johnson was focused on ending the War on Poverty, the centerpiece of his presidency, and bringing justice to his fellow men and women. However, his pressing desire was to give the “Great Society a chance to grow and prosper! Johnson inherited the presidential seat after the death of John F. Kennedy. Immediately, Johnson was concentrated on establishing himself in the office of the Presidency, and to continue the legacy of JFK. Johnson quickly administered a group of domestic programs which he called the “Great Society”. Johnson’s vision for the Great Society drew on both his own primary identification with the New Deal (which he supported heavily) and his commitment to go beyond the achievement of FDR to create an America worthy of leadership in the twenty-first century. For America, this was the perfect time to build a Great Society. LBJ was confident that this was a time to prove that our material progress is only the foundation on which we will build a richer life in mind and spirit. He believed that the Great Society rested on an abu...

    Read More

  • The Scottsboro Turning Point

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    Few things have impacted the United States throughout its history like the fight for racial equality. It has caused divisions between the American people, and many name it as the root of the Civil War. This issue also sparked the Civil Rights Movement, leading to advancements towards true equality among all Americans. When speaking of racial inequality and America’s struggle against it, people forget some of the key turning points in it’s history. Some of the more obvious ones are the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the North, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington D.C. in 1963. However, people fail to recount a prominent legal matter that paved the way for further strides towards equality.

    Read More

  • Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of a peaceful movement to end segregation in the United States this mission led him in 1963 to Birmingham, Alabama where officials and leaders in the community actively fought against desegregation. While performing sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests, King was imprisoned by authorities for violating the strict segregation laws. While imprisoned King wrote a letter entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in which he expresses his disappointment in the clergy, officials, and people of Birmingham. This letter employed pathos to argue that the leaders and ‘heroes’ in Birmingham during the struggle were at fault or went against their beliefs.

    Read More

  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and His Transcendental Idea

    1846 Words  | 4 Pages

    King, Martin Luther Jr. “Letter from the Birmingham jail.” Why We Can't Wait 1963: 77-100.

    Read More

  • Rehetoric in Maritn Luther King Jr.´s Speech

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    As King stood before the massive crowd of Americans, he urged the citizens of the United States to turn their hatred of colored people into a hatred of the true evil: racism. King continually states that the black people are being held back by the “chains of discrimination.” King uses this to make the audience feel that the black people are in great misfortune. King describes the white people as swimming in an “ocean of material prosperity” while the black people are stranded on a “lonely island of poverty.” Here, King magnificently uses the Declaration of Independence and implores the audiences’ emotions on all levels, wielding pathos as his Rhetorical weapon. Prejudices surrounded the nation and caused fear, anger, panic, rage, and many more intense emotions. All people who lived in this time period experienced these prejudices in one form or another. King takes the idea of these prejudices and describes a world without all of the hate and fear. He imagines an ideal world that all races, not just black people, would find more pleasant and peaceful. Moreover, King references how the United States has broken their promise to the men of color by refusing them the basic human rights granted in the foundational documents of the country: the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

    Read More

  • How Did Martin Luther King Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister and a civil rights activist during the mid 1950s Civil Rights movement. Dr. King was one of the major influencers in changing federal and state laws in the betterment, by removing segregational laws, of the African American community. Dr. King won a Nobel Peace Prize along with other awards for his involvement in raising awareness of the civil liberties being taken away from the African American community. One of the reasons why Dr. King was so influential in his movements, along with his speeches, was because he was able to communicate his and the African American community’s feelings towards segregation and use his orating and writing abilities to move that community into action. King was highly motivated to do what was right and did not care of the consequences of acting out towards his suppressors. The Letter from Birmingham Jail is a perfect example of a time King uses his ability to communicate feelings into getting a large group of people to join his movement. Although his letter had little to no effect on the issues of Birmingham, since by the time the letter was written most issues had been resolved, it did help gain support for the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Letter from Birmingham Jail uses pathos to criticize the white church and gain sympathy for the atrocious acts committed towards the African American community to increase the white churches’ support for integration.

    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

  • The Influence of Martin Luther King Jr.

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr. was the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement as he fought for the freedom of African Americans. King’s most influential speech is his “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963.1 King himself was a man whom thousands of people admired. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an expressive tone in his speeches by using verbal powerful imagery toward his audience, reminding them of the challenges facing them and defeating racism. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to take action, lead by example, as shown in his speeches and promoted non-violence as a method for change.

    Read More

More about Review of Kotz's Book, Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America.

Open Document