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

As America's 35th president, he often took bold actions-establishing a peace corps and challenging Americans to land on the moon. But on civil rights he didn't act quickly it took the urging and the example of other courageous people-Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson-and even students and children-to help him realise 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. Using text drawn directly from JFK's speeches and including extensive back matter, this is a thought-provoking and sensitive account of a transformative time in history.