In “Wake Up America” [1], John Lewis states his central criticism of the civil rights bill both very early and very succinctly, in his fourth sentence of the speech: “... it is too little, and too late”. An obviously frustrated man, he then gives specific examples of how the bill fails to protect African Americans. These include their continuing vulnerability to police brutality, several Southern states in which they still had no actual right to vote (due to a 6^th grade minimum education requirement), and the demeaning wage disparities that existed, especially for southern agricultural laborers.

From there, the remainder of his message is an indictment of the Federal Government at large, sparing neither Republican, Democrat, nor President John F. Kennedy himself. He cites the double-standard of how black leaders in the civil rights movement have been arrested for peaceful demonstrations, yet violent assaults against them have gone unpunished. Although in a sense, Lewis was “preaching to the choir” here at the March on Washington D.C., the meat of his sermon was aimed at those a little more out of earshot- sitting in the various executive, legislative, and judicial offices surrounding him.

This was August of 1963, and just a few months before JFK would be assassinated in Dallas. Lewis was pressured into editing his speech, removing some of the more critical comments about the President. Here's a topic for discussion I feel would be interesting: Think of how much society's views have changed in regard to respect for a president and other government leaders since then. You can listen to talk radio or watch cable TV nowadays and regularly hear our current or past leaders labelled as idiots, liars, war-mongerers, or worse. Is this a change for the better- or have we lost something with this no-holds-barred mentality?

[1] Lewis, John. “Wake Up America”. The Movements of the New Left 1950-1975. Gosse, Van.

            Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martins. 2005. 75-77. Print.