Weekly Reflection: One Night In June – Triumph and Tragedy

Jun 15, 2023

On the night of June 11-12, 1963 two major events happened that impacted and symbolized the struggle for racial justice during the Civil Rights Movement. President John Kennedy gave a televised speech from the Oval Office in which he called out the reality of racial injustice in the nation and called for systemic changes to address those injustices. The President framed this as not only a legal matter but as he said, “We are confronted primarily by a moral issue. It is as old as the Scriptures and as clear as the American Constitution.” (The first video posted below is an excerpt from that landmark speech.) During the early part of his administration, President Kennedy was hesitant to come out clearly in favor of the Civil Rights Movement. From the beginning of the movement, there was major opposition from Southern Democrats who did not want any significant change to their “way of life.” Yet the racist violence of events such as the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith in 1962 and the Birmingham campaign in the spring of 1963 impacted the President to the point that he was willing to confront political opposition in his own party. His speech that evening played a major part in developing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which he did not live to see.

In Jackson, MS, Medgar Evers the Field Secretary of the NAACP watched the speech with some of his colleagues. They were glad to hear the young President recognize their struggles against racism and align himself with their efforts for racial justice. Medgar Evers had worked directly with James Meredith in the face of state sponsored opposition and physical violence to secure his admission to the University of Mississippi. Mr. Evers also called on the local Black community to boycott stores that practiced racial segregation. Around midnight on June 12, he returned home to be with his wife and three children. As he got out of his car in the driveway, Medgar Evers was shot in the back by a white supremacist hiding in the bushes. Medgar Evers crawled down the driveway toward the front door but died on the scene. The man who murdered him was arrested within a few days but evaded conviction twice by all white juries. Finally in 1994 after more than thirty years, he was retried and sentenced to life in prison. (The second video posted below provides more information about the life and death of Medgar Evers.)

The events that night in June 1963 symbolize the reality of the struggle for racial justice in our nation. Whenever there is significant progress, there is also significant backlash. While we often recognize the steps of progress, we also tend to be unaware of or minimize the reality of backlash. That was true during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950-60’s, and it continues to be true today. For those of us who believe that all people are made in the image of God and deserve equal justice, it is important to both commit to work for greater progress in racial justice and to be willing to face the backlash that inevitably comes.