This thesis examines the Kennedy Administration's decision to propose comprehensive civil rights legislation in June, 1963. The work focuses on the relationship between the Kennedy brothers, particularly on Robert F. Kennedy's position as his brother's main adviser and his influence on the president's final decision to go forward with legislation. It begins by exploring the Kennedy's childhood, then traces the brothers' approach toward civil rights during the campaigns of 1952 and 1960, and concludes with an assessment of the Kennedy administration's civil rights policy during his presidency. The thesis puts special emphasis on a May, 1963 meeting between Robert Kennedy and an eclectic bi-racial group of intellectuals led by the novelist James Baldwin arguing that the meeting profoundly altered Kennedy's understanding of civil rights, ultimately transforming the Kennedy legacy regarding civil rights.

<p> The civil rights movement could have been easily called the civil rights ministry due to its principle leader, the African-American pastor. It was a movement based on the precepts and tenets of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The African-American culture and church are quite often indivisible; this is primarily due to their formation. The leader of the African-American church and culture is often the pastor; they played a principle role in setting the tone and direction of the American civil rights movement. This thesis will show how the African-American pastor's role has been central to the community and how that role has been fluid and adaptive to respond to the adversity and changes within the community and culture.</p> / Thesis / Master of Theological Studies (MTS)

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<p>During the civil rights era, the two African American political traditions Black conservatism and Black nationalism substantively overlapped. Surveying the literature on Black radicalism and the long civil rights movement, however, mention of this, let alone of a well-articulated strain of conservatism within the African American community during the period, is few and far between. Understanding why Black conservatism has been left out of these conversations comprises my research question. I argue that it is the significant differences between the two ideologies that largely explain this. Namely, Black conservatives’ practice of condemning Blackness, whether during the civil rights era or today, answers why they are left out of the scholarship on Black nationalism and civil rights. It draws a sharp line between Black conservatives, not only from Black nationalists, but mainstream African American identity, too.</p>

This study examined the life of Benjamin Elijah Mays, in terms of discerning his character strengths and the role they played in addressing equality issues during his lifetime and beyond. Character was defined by the analytic framework of Peterson and Seligman's Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. An examination of Mays's written archived works as well as key secondary references served as data sources. Peterson and Seligman's Values In Action-Inventory of Strengths (derived from and based upon their classification scheme) was converted into if/then statements to identify Mays's character strengths and virtues associated with specific historical events. The historical context focused on the social setting/event of Jim Crow and legally sanctioned segregation. Addressed was how Mays's character assisted in bringing about the end of segregation in public venues, ushering in voting rights for all disenfranchised Americans, and his use of the church and academia to recruit champions for equality in worship and life. Mays undertook an 88 year journey toward equality, a journey that spanned second slavery, passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, implementation of and failure to enforce affirmative action plans, and 44 years as a leader in the fight against segregation. Despite the fact that both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously passed resolutions in 1983 and 2001(SRs 188 and 23; HRs 17 and 49, respectively) to award Mays the Presidential Medal of Freedom “in honor of his distinguished career as an educator, civil and human rights leader, and public theologian,” the Medal was denied by the Reagan and G.W. Bush administrations. The equality issues that existed during Mays's life continue to haunt American society, but Mays's importance to the continuing struggle for civil rights and the character strengths that he brought to this struggle are undeniable and provide fertile territory for future research. / Ph. D.