1. Kennedy and Lewis Primary
Document Activity
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/Lesso
ns/Unit%2012_Cold%20War%20Culture
%20and%20Civil%20Rights/Civil%20Rig
hts%20Act%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf

2. 1. JFK’s Civil Rights Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVdZBtlSirI
2. Answer as viewing
a. What was the civil rights act?
b. Do you believe JFK was a strong believer in civil
rights? Why or why not?

3. 1. Before reading document answer questions
a. Who wrote this? When? Who was he
addressing?
b. Was it televised? Who’s watching? What
are they thinking?
c. What do we know about him? What have
we learned so far?
d. Is this a trustworthy source? Why or why
not?

4. 1. Before and while reading this document ask
yourself
a. What is JFK trying to do in this speech?
b. Why is Civil Rights a controversial issue?
c. What is the Civil Rights Act?
d. What is happening in the Civil Rights
Movement in 1963?

5. While reading this document ask
yourself
1. Is he addressing Congress or all Americans?
2. Does it sound as if he’s only addressing white
people?
3. Why does he keep saying it’s a “moral” issue?
4. What does he want Congress to do?
5. Was this an effective speech?
6. How do you think his audience felt?

6. 1. Danny Glover reading John Lewis’s speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INkJsWkCiSE
2. Read modified version of speech
3. Ask yourself
a. Why did John Lewis have to change his speech?
b. According to both documents was JFK a strong
supporter of civil rights?
c. Do you need additional evidence to decide?

7. President Johnson signed the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 after Kennedy was
assassinated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bygv9u1G6Xo
Many Southern Democrats opposed the bill and some
believe this is when many of them became Republicans