The JFK Files: A non-fiction book by Robert Helliger

Chapter Thirty-Two-Civil Rights and the 1960's; November 22, 1963

~~~Quote: "In giving rights to others which belong to them.  We give rights to ourselves and to our country", Assassinated US President John F(itzgerald) Kennedy on civil rights, (May 29, 1917-November 22, 1963)~~~

I

Before being assassinated, US President JFK was prominent in being involved in the African-American Civil Rights movement.

     It began with Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005). Parks, a  Tuskegee, Alabama, native, and her brother Sylvester, lived with their Mom, Leona (née Edwards) Parks; Park's father, James McCauley, who was a carpenter/teacher. After spending time in Montgomery.

II

The family  went to Pine Level. (*located on US Route 231 as well as Alabama State Route 53 which was 25 miles away to the south-east*); and were members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) church. Parks was of African and Cherokee-Creek decent. She attended   the Industrial School for Girls; and the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes.        Before the 1960's, African-Americans were "segregated". Slavery in the 19th century was rife. White land owners still treated the African-Americans badly.         As the 20th century begun, nothing was being done. Rosa Parks knew of Jim Crow's laws. From 1800-66, the controversial "Black Codes", was a racist policy that dehumanised African-Americans.

      And, from 1900-54, nothing happened. Artists and movie stars like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Etta James, and Sidney Poitier, Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino Jr., Sammy Davis, Jr., (and some others), lead the way to be inclusive...not exclusive, by way of wonderful jazz and blues, and rock n' roll music. *Even Elvis Presley sounded African-American, as he left the US Army and made waves in the 1950, 60's, and 70's, and made his comeback in Hawaii in 1972, until his death in 1977, aged 42*. III ***The first case before Rosa Parks was that of Irene Morgan Kirkaldy, April 9, 1917 – August 10, 2007. In 1944, aged 27, Irene  who was on a Middlesex County, Virginia bus, wouldn't let a white person take her seat. That case called " Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 328 U.S. 373", (1946), begun in the United States Supreme Court.          

      Irene seeked counsel with the help of William Henry Hastie, Jr. (November 17, 1904 – April 14, 1976), a respected African-American  Washington, DC Lawyer , the United States District Court, (Virgin Islands) , and was  the Department of the Interior Assistant Solicitor thanks to US President Roosevelt, (1933-37).          When veteran Salt Lake City, Utah Senator William Henry King (June 3, 1863 – November 27, 1949), heard of the appointment, he said, quote: "It is a blunder", unquote. This racist and ignorant comment is a symptom of Senator King spending most of the last three decades of the 19th century knowing that quote, "White men have all the power, not African-Americans", unquote.         

      With the help of Associate Justice for The United States Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall, (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993), the beginning of The US Civil Rights Movement had had begun***.

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