November 22, 1963

The Civil Rights Struggle

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37-cent 1961 Freedom Riders stamp

Starry-eyed with his far-reaching dreams, Kennedy struggled to address the growing issue of civil rights closer to home. After violent attacks on Freedom Riders in Birmingham, Alabama, however, Kennedy turned his attentions to more forceful civil rights legislation that would include equal access to public facilities, voting rights, and the desegregation of schools.