Joining Hands:The Cooperation Between Lyndon Johnson And Martin Luther King For The Civil Rights Of African-Americans

The United States is a country known for its "democracy, freedom, and equality"; however, the blacks, as a special race in the United States, were always excluded from the mainstream of society, and lived in their own country as second-class citizens.1960s is the period of the height of the African-American civil rights movement, series of the civil rights acts passed in that period legalized the equal civil rights of blacks, greatly improving the political, economic and social status of blacks, and removing the obstacles for the blacks to fully participate in the American political and economic life. Therefore, the civil rights legislation of1960s is the most important part in the history of African-American struggle, and has a profound influence on the United States society. The implementation of the civil rights acts is inseparable from the joint efforts of the two great men:Lyndon Baines Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. This thesis focuses on the joint efforts made by President Johnson and the black leader Martin Luther King in the1960s to analyze the reason why the acts can be enacted in1960s from the perspectives of the political leadership and African-American civil rights struggle.After the "Emancipation Proclamation" was signed, blacks still faced unequal treatment in actual life. After the World War Ⅱ, the US economy showed a picture of prosperity with the living standards of ordinary Americans improved significantly. However, blacks were excluded from that, still suffering inequality in the economic field, educational field and social life because of the residual racial segregation discrimination.Martin Luther King and Lyndon Baines Johnson came from different races, and were in two completely different fields. Both of them had a deep affection for the South, eager to solve the problem of poverty and racial inequality, which has laid the basis and offered possibility for the cooperation of them. Martin Luther King and Lyndon Baines Johnson not only were aware of that they had common goals and values, but also understood the importance of each other. Thus, from1963to1966, they worked closely and actively to promote the implementation of the Civil Rights Act by separately organizing civil rights movement and coordinating the Congress. From1967to1968, because of the Vietnam War, civil riots and other reasons, they had disagreement. But that did not hinder them from continuing to make efforts for the implementation of the House Opening Act. King and Johnson made great efforts and contributions to the civil rights of blacks from1963to1968, and played a very important role in promoting the enactment of Civil Rights Act in1960s.