At the end of 1962, President John F. Kennedy asked his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, to compile a report on the Civil Rights enforcement activities of the Justice Department over the previous year. In this report, submitted on January 24, 1963, Robert Kennedy noted “progress” overall, but reminded the President that difficult race problems remain “not only in the South . . . but throughout the country.”

Though the year was marked by the deadly riots at the University of Mississippi over the admittance of a black student, Kennedy maintained a sense of optimism and hope for the future. He called 1962 “a year of great progress in civil rights, in large measure because of the responsibility and respect for law displayed by the great majority of the citizens of the South.” He did not deny, however, that many difficult problems remained, and he cited the disregard of voting rights and regulations in some southern states as a continuing problem desperately in need of reform.

Kennedy also noted progress made in African American employment and the desegregation of schools and public transportation. For these gains he credited the increasing cooperation of the southern people and called this “the emerging spirit of the South.” Evident throughout his report is his faith that the people and the government of the United States will be able to accomplish their objectives through persistence and compassion. The report reflects the true purpose of the Civil Rights Movement: to fight racism and apathy in order to enact positive change and ultimately gain equal rights.

Kennedy was correct in believing that the Civil Rights Movement would continue to advance. The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed racial discrimination and removed many voting obstacles for African Americans.

A full transcript is available.