Although consequently the number of black voters increased significantly, there was also an increase of white people carrying out a policy of intimidation against black voters. Some black voters and their homes were targeted individually, and subjected to beatings, shootings and evictions, and sometimes whole black communities were targeted when their churches and community buildings were attacked.
In 1962 when Kennedy attempted to end segregation, city authorities in Birmingham, Alabama, who resented being told what to do by the northern Congress, closes their parks, playing fields, swimming pools and other public places to avoid integration. Local police commissioners such as Eugene ‘Bull’ Conner set dogs and firehoses on black protesters who refused to disperse. This event was publicized on television increasing the general public view that something should be done about equal rights.
Kennedy knew that if he was going to achieve any major milestones in getting equal rights for blacks he was going to have to set out some guidelines for improvement, these were the New Frontiers, based around the ideas of the Beveridge Report in Britain. They were organized into three main groups, Economy, Social Welfare and Civil Rights.
Kennedy invested in industry by reducing taxes, and therefore controlling inflation. Kennedy proposed a general tax cut to increase public spending, and so demand for manufactured goods was increased. Kennedy created new jobs due to the expansion in the space and defense industries, and in factories due to the increased public expenditure. To entice new workers Kennedy also introduced a new minimum wage of $1.25, a raise of 25c on the old minimum wage.
Kennedy was especially influenced by the five Giants that Beveridge outlined in his report for Britain, this lead to him setting up a social state of sorts. Kennedy aimed to tackle the social and economic problems poverty created by giving out loans and training in return for people taking jobs that he created, Kennedy went on to authorize a $900 million public works programme to provide jobs for all the re/trained workers.
Kennedy used the Area of Redevelopment Act of 1961, which entitled people living in poverty to benefits, to combat many of the issues he had outlined, the majority of the assistance of loans, grants and technical assistance went to Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Kennedy was dedicated to improving civil rights for everyone during his term as president. He filled several posts in Congress with black Americans and set up a committee for equal employment in march 1961. Kennedy named and shamed 50 cases in 4 states where black Americans were denied the right to vote.
When James Meredith (a black American student) was prevented entrance to university in Mississippi, Kennedy sent US marshals to escort Meredith to and from the university.
In June 1963 Kennedy put forwards a Civil Rights package which proposed to ban discrimination in employment and to give equal voting rights and access to public housing for everyone.
