John F Kennedy Legacy

African American Diasporas Studies
Extra Credit Paper

The life and legacy of John Francis Kennedy is long-lived and will never fade away. But to thoroughly understand John F. Kennedy as a person, one has to have a thorough understanding of his background and past. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 6, 1888, Joseph Patrick Kennedy was the son of Mary Hickey and Patrick Joseph Kennedy, an important figure in the Irish community of Boston. Later in life, Patrick J. Kennedy rose from common laborer to highly successful businessman, and was eventually vital in the organization of two different Boston financial institutions, the Columbia Trust Company and the Sumner Savings Bank. Early on, Patrick J. Kennedy had also entered politics.
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born on July 22, 1890, the eldest child of John F. (“Honey Fitz”) and Mary Josephine Hannon Fitzgerald. She was first introduced to politics as a child. When she was 5, her father was a congressman. By the time she turned 15, Honey Fitz was one of the most popular and colorful mayors Boston had ever known. He once took Rose and her sister Agnes to visit President William McKinley in the White House. So it is extensively safe to say that John F. Kennedy had a political blood line of some sort. Kennedy was the second child born of Joseph and Rose Kennedy.
All together there were four boys and five girls. Growing up, he attended Choate Boarding School where we was well known and played many sports. Upon graduation, he attended Harvard Law School, graduated, and joined the navy. After serving his term in the navy fighting in war, he returned home contemplating what career choice he would want to pursue. His father ultimately convinced him to become a Massachusetts congressman. Shortly after running and winning his political campaign, he served 6 years in the House of Representatives and was later elected to the United States Senate. Soon after being elected to senate, Kennedy met and married 24 year old Jacqueline Bouvier and they later had their first child
together. In 1960 in an election against Nixon, Kennedy won with substantial aid from the African American community due to he and his brother’s involvement and sympathy in prior incidences. This infuriated segregationist nationwide and caused Kennedy to become hesitant with further involvement with the civil rights movement at that time. Due to the upcoming elections, Kennedy had been on a widespread campaigning tour, and was advised that he needed to win over Florida and Texas, so he made it priority to visit both. After numerous stops in Texas cities, they finally reached Dallas.
As the Presidential couple and other governing officials paraded through a crowd of welcoming Texans, shots were fired striking the president in the head and chest. He then was sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:00 pm November 22, 1963. Hours after the president’s death, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office during a short ceremony on Air Force One. Shortly before then, police detained a suspect by the name of Lee Harvey Oswald, an employee of the Texas School Book Depository. (The building that the president’s car was passing upon his murder.) On November 24, Oswald was scheduled to be transported to prison under live national media coverage. Then a man approached the assailant, with a pistol in hand, and fired at point blank range. The man was later identified as night club owner Jack Ruby. Lee Harvey Oswald was rushed to Parkland Hospital, and died. The same place and circumstance as the beloved president whose life he viciously took
away.

Works Cited
Foundation, W. E. (n.d.). The Kennedy 's and civil rights. Retrieved from pbs.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/kennedys-and-civil-rights/
Museum, J. L. (n.d.). Life of JFK. Retrieved from jfklibrary.org: http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/Life-of-John-F-Kennedy.aspx