Within the civil rights movement, many wonderful figures come to mind, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall and many others; but what about the president? President John F. Kennedy played an important role in defending civil rights while in office and contributed to a multitude of different programs and actions such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, aid to desegregation in schools and universities and the Affirmative program. Workplace action; even other family members contributed. Robert and Bobby Kennedy both aided the president and even did their own civil rights work. Even after his death in 1963, the civil rights movement did not stop and neither did his aid. His legacy continued in civil rights with the help of Lyndon B. Johnson, his vice president who saw to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Kennedy was one of many great people for standing up to injustice; in life and death, his actions would help shape the outcome of the civil rights movement. The beginning of John Kennedy's civil rights career had begun during the 1960 election. Kennedy would gain the support of a large number of African Americans who would later vote for him due to his actions regarding MLK and Birmingham Jail. As the JFK Library shows: “Nationwide, more than 70 percent of African Americans voted for Kennedy, and those votes gave him the advantage in several key states” (JFK Library Foundation 1). Thanks to the black vote, supported by none other than Martin Luther King Sr., Kennedy would eventually win a number of swing states that would secure his lead in the election. “The black vote was crucial in the swing states of Illinois, Michigan and Michigan. South Carolina that Kennedy carried" (PBS St...... middle of paper ...... his entire movement, full legal equality (JFK Library Foundation 3). Works CitedFoundation, JFK Library. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. n/a April 16, 2014. PBS n/a April 23, 2014. Staff, ProQuest n/a April 16 2014.—. 2014 .