We Shall Overcome

-Lyndon_Johnson_and_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._-_Voting_Rights_Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

On 15 March 1965 , United States President Lyndon B. Johnson,  who had assumed the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, used the phrase “we shall overcome” in a speech delivered after the violent attacks on Civil Rights demonstrators during the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, led by Martin Luther King.

In that speech to a joint session of Congress, the president outlined the deceitful ways in which election officials denied African-American citizens the vote. He said: “It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life. Their struggle must be our cause, too, because it’s not just Negroes, but really, it’s all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.  And we shall overcome.” 

He was supporting the Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting, by overcoming the legal barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote

24 thoughts on “We Shall Overcome”

  7. That was one of the few moments in History that change the world. Thank you for the picture, I’d never seen it.
    How are things going in Italy? I just heard Macron “shutting France down?”. And Mexico is about to close schools and universities. I don’t see figures levelling off in Italy yet. 😦
    Be careful

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I know. I see the curves every night. Italy is not out of the woods yet. But hopefully in a few weeks you should be. Meanwhile, stay home as much as you can. Limit contact. Even with family and friends. A few weeks isolation should do the trick. Hugs back. Stay safe.

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