A Time to Act John F. Kennedy's Big Speech

"'The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise.' John F. Kennedy was born one hundred years ago. As America's thirty-fifth president, he often took bold actions: establishing a peace corps and challenging Americans to land on the moon. But on civil rights, it took the urging and the example of other courageous people--leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson, and even students and children--to help him realize that the time to act was now. On June 11, 1963, Kennedy's 'big speech'--his civil rights address--was a game changer, and his efforts laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964--but our country's work is not finished"--