Although we laud those who put their lives on the line for social justice, in the end, those people who have been elected to powerful positions or who have power through great wealth must see that social justice is worth extending to all people. As you might imagine, people in power rarely think that others should get more power and influence! Nevertheless, President Johnson strongly backed the Civil Right Act of 1964 (and the Voting Rights Act of 1965) despite being a Southerner who had never strongly supported civil rights in the past.The article in your Course Materials Area is particularly good at showing how even powerful people need to carefully use their power to get what they want. And President Johnson was a master at bullying, conniving, and dealing with people to get his way. He was, you might say, the right person at the right time to get our nation on the track to racial justice. When you are reading an article, you always want to find the “main point” or “thesis” to that writing. In the Atlantic Monthly’s article about President Johnson saving the Civil Rights Act, found here LBJ Saved the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – the following is the thesis for the article:”Of course, no discussion of civil-rights leadership is complete without including Martin Luther King Jr., who provided moral and spiritual focus, infusing the movement with resolution and dignity. But the times also called for a leader who could subdue the vast political and administrative forces arrayed against change—for someone with the strategic and tactical instincts to overcome the most-entrenched opponents, and the courage to decide instantly, in a moment of great uncertainty and doubt, to throw his full weight behind progress. The civil-rights movement had the extraordinary figure of Lyndon Johnson” (O’Donnell).1) Find, quote, discuss and cite in MLA in-text style, three ways in which the author O’Donnell shows that Lyndon Johnson was that “extraordinary figure.” In other words, write a short essay where you find the support for O’Donnell’s claim in the article he has written.2) Then, summarize what you think was significant about Johnson’s ability to get the Civil Rights Act passed into law in 1964. Would the bill have passed if President Kennedy had lived and not been killed in November 1963? Why or why not?For information on citing both in your text and at the end in MLA style, please see MLA
