JFK ADDRESSES VIOLENCE IN BIRMINGHAM
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy spoke to the nation on radio and television on May 12, 1963 in the aftermath of violence and unrest in the city of Birmingham, Alabama.
The address, which began at 9 p.m. Washington time, followed the bombings of the home of Rev. A.D. King* and the A.G. Gaston Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were lodging. Birmingham then experienced rioting, injuries and property damage.
The President said..."This Government will do whatever must be done to preserve order, to protect the lives of its citizens, and to uphold the law of the land."
JFK concluded his remarks by saying that he would be sending Assistant Attorney General Burke Marshall**, along with other Justice Department officials, to consult with local citizens of Birmingham. He also would ask Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara to alert the Armed Forces trained in riot control to be on the ready.
The President promised to direct the Alabama National Guard to be ready for deployment in Birmingham if needed.
*A.D. King (1930-1969), the younger brother of ML King Jr, was born in Atlanta and graduated from Morehouse College. He pastored at Mt. Vernon 1st Baptist Church in Newnan, GA and was pastor of the 1st Baptist of Ensley in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.
**Burke Marshall (1922-2003) was born in Plainfield, NJ and earned his BA and LLD at Yale University. BM served as Assistant Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and also headed the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.
Burke Marshall
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy spoke to the nation on radio and television on May 12, 1963 in the aftermath of violence and unrest in the city of Birmingham, Alabama.
The address, which began at 9 p.m. Washington time, followed the bombings of the home of Rev. A.D. King* and the A.G. Gaston Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were lodging. Birmingham then experienced rioting, injuries and property damage.
The President said..."This Government will do whatever must be done to preserve order, to protect the lives of its citizens, and to uphold the law of the land."
JFK concluded his remarks by saying that he would be sending Assistant Attorney General Burke Marshall**, along with other Justice Department officials, to consult with local citizens of Birmingham. He also would ask Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara to alert the Armed Forces trained in riot control to be on the ready.
The President promised to direct the Alabama National Guard to be ready for deployment in Birmingham if needed.
**Burke Marshall (1922-2003) was born in Plainfield, NJ and earned his BA and LLD at Yale University. BM served as Assistant Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and also headed the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.
Burke Marshall
Deputy Attorney General
for civil rights
LBJ Library Photo
