Lyndon Baines Johnson
36th President of the United States
In Central Texas, on August 27, 1908, Lyndon Baines Johnson was born. He attended Texas State University. After graduating, he taught in Cotulla, Texas. Due to these experiences, Johnson witnessed the detrimental effects of discrimination and poverty to society. After working in the House of Representatives, and then Senate, Lyndon B. Johnson ran in the 1960 election campaigns and was elected Vice President of the United States to President John F. Kennedy. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in the year 1963, Johnson became the 36th president.
Subsequent to Kennedy’s assassination, Lyndon worked to pass two bills that Kennedy had supported, but did not live long enough to see through Congress, including the Civil Rights Act, forbidding all types of discrimination based on race, country of origin, religion, or skin color. (LBJ: Biography). Later, he was once again elected for a second term. During this time, Johnson led the War on Poverty, which was set to end poverty all over the country. He worked to convince the middle, upper class, and elected officials that poverty affects not only impoverished individuals, but also those who have financial security. During his presidency, Lyndon also “passed more than 60 education bills” (LBJ: Biography). Johnson’s life ended abruptly in the year 1973 as a result of a heart attack. President Lyndon B. Johnson was involved in the movement for equal rights by putting into place Executive Order 11246, which banned discrimination in the workforce. Furthermore, Johnson openly supported civil rights and equal opportunity. This was evident in his Commencement Address at Howard University. Johnson furthered the movement by producing an order that carried the full force of the law, thus speeding the process for equal opportunity employment. In addition to this, President Lyndon garnered support from the masses for the movement by openly speaking and supporting it. By: Valentina Gutierrez |
Sources Cited
"LBJ: Biography." LBJ Presidential Library. LBJ Presidential Library, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.