PS 214 Sec C - Group 4: "We Shall Overcome" Speech

PS 214 Sec C - Group 4: "We Shall Overcome" Speech: "


The speech given by Lyndon B. Johnson was on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African Americans to vote. In his speech towards the end he brought up the civil rights bill and I thought this was a very important part of the speech that gave all races and citizens privileges. "The bill im presenting to you will be known as a civil rights bill. But in a larger sense, most of the program I am recommending is a civil rights program. Its object is to open the city of hope to all people of all races, because all Americans just must have the right to vote, and we are going to give them that right." He also went on and stated,"All Americans must have the privileges of citizenship, regardless of race, and they are going to have those privileges of citizenship regardless of race." Right there I thought was very strong words on Lyndon's part and made a huge impact on all citizens of the country. I like the fact how Johnson had stated throughout his speech about what the African Americans have done for the country and what and who they represent in the United States. They are like any other American in this country and "WILL" be treated like any other person. After two attempts at marching into Montgomery, on Sunday, March 21st 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants.