The Last Word-Jfk Analysis

According to “A Tale of Segregation”, William and his father had to wait to get water, because two white men grabbed his father and forced them to wait until all of the white people were finished getting water. Racism toward the African Americans was almost everywhere in America (The Last Word - John F. Kennedy’s ‘Finest Moment’ [2:28]), so this also explains why William and his father (as African Americans) had to wait to get water until all of the white Americans were finished first. The two white men who forced William and his father to wait were involved with racism, and were against African Americans.

William’s father said, “This was an act of real hatred and prejudice”, because not only did William and his father have to wait longer because of their involvement in racism, they were also supposed to be

treated fairly and with equal rights just as Americans were supposed to be. In the video, JFK said, “This nation was founded by many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal.” William’s father also knew that everyone, no matter their race, was supposed to be treated with equal rights as well. So, he already knew (during the time he and William went to get water) that it was not right for the two white men to force he and William to wait to get water until all of the White Americans were finished, because everyone should have been treated equally.
In “A Tale of Segregation,” when William’s father says, “There’s gonna come a day when this won’t be anymore,” he meant that Americans would, someday, be able to have equal rights without the limitations of race.

In the video (The Last Word - John F. Kennedy’s ‘Finest Moment’ [4:44]), JFK discusses the freedom and privileges that every American, regardless of their race or background, should be living with. “It (freedom) ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any color to attend any public institution they select, without having to be backed up by troops. It ought to be possible for American consumers of any color to receive equal service in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and restaurants, and theatres and retail stores without being forced to resort to demonstrations in the street,” JFK said. This evidence correlates to William’s father’s idea that someday, they would have the freedom to do things without confirmation of someone else regarding race. So, William’s father knew that someday, he would be right, and he and William would go get water in the future without anyone unfairly forcing them to wait

again.