How Did Robert Kennedy Influence Rfk Public Policy

In 1966, Robert Kennedy said, “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped” (Kennedy). Robert Kennedy’s progressive ideas and unbiased point of view shaped his career as Attorney General under his brother, President John F. Kennedy. From 1961 until 1964, RFK served as Attorney General; he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 while running for President. Kennedy applied his authority as Attorney General to improve civil rights while reducing poverty and organized crime throughout the country, which allowed him to leave a legacy of hope and progress following his assassination.
Robert Kennedy called attention to the issue of poverty within the country through public speeches and reports while serving as Attorney General. Almost one quarter of the United States population was below the poverty line in the 1950s, with the majority of these impoverished people being minorities and children (“Poverty”). Kennedy recognized the severity of poverty in the U.S. and immediately took action by revealing the issue to the higher classes. In a speech at the University of Kansas on March 18th, 1968, Kennedy said,
“I have seen children in the Delta area of
In 1961 and 1962, bus and rail stations across the country were desegregated according to new regulations imposed by Kennedy (“Robert F. Kennedy Report to President John F. Kennedy Regarding Civil Rights”). Even before leaders like Rosa Parks protested segregation, Kennedy attempted to desegregate public areas. Beginning in 1962, Kennedy surveyed and desegregated all American airports (“Robert F. Kennedy Report to President John F. Kennedy Regarding Civil Rights”). Kennedy challenged societal norms, especially as a white Attorney General, to enforce the law and grant constitutional rights to all citizens of the United