Race And Cold War Assignment

Race And Cold War Assignment Httpsswayofficecom0hkoc4wy6ipia6or

Develop a two-page, double-spaced essay analyzing how the two primary sources—the 1952 amicus curiae brief for Brown v. Board of Education and John F. Kennedy’s 1963 report to the American people on civil rights—demonstrate the influence of the Cold War on the U.S. executive branch concerning race relations. Your essay should examine how each source reflects the relationship between racial equality within the United States and U.S. Cold War rhetoric on the world stage, considering the historical context of the early 1950s and early 1960s. Use specific quotes from each primary source to support your analysis. The paper should include an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs each presenting a distinct point supported by evidence, and a conclusion.

Paper For Above instruction

The Cold War era, spanning roughly from 1947 to 1991, profoundly impacted domestic policies and ideological rhetoric within the United States. During this period, the U.S. government sought to portray itself as a defender of democracy and human rights across the globe, contrasting itself sharply with the Soviet Union’s communist ideology and often criticising its human rights record. Race relations and the fight for racial equality became intertwined with Cold War politics, as the U.S. aimed to maintain its image as a moral and political leader of the free world. Analyzing the primary sources—the 1952 amicus curiae brief and President Kennedy’s 1963 report—reveals how race and Cold War diplomacy were mutually reinforcing, with both sources emphasizing that internal racial discrimination undermined American credibility and global leadership in the democratic fight.

The 1952 amicus curiae brief, submitted by the Attorney General in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, explicitly links racial discrimination with the broader objectives of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. The brief emphasizes that racial discrimination, particularly in places like Washington D.C., diminishes America’s moral standing internationally. The Attorney General states, “The treatment of colored persons here is taken as the measure of our attitude toward minorities generally,” and further argues that racial segregation undermines the U.S. image as a land of freedom and democracy (McGranery, 1952). The brief contends that international observers and foreign officials scrutinize America’s racial practices, which serve as propaganda tools for the Soviet Union and other adversaries. For instance, it notes that “racial discrimination furnishes grist for the Communist propaganda mills,” actively damaging U.S. efforts to promote democracy abroad. This evidence shows that the federal government recognized that racial injustice at home was not only a moral failing but also a strategic weakness, as it provided enemies with ammunition to attack American credibility on the world stage.

John F. Kennedy’s 1963 report extends and reinforces this idea, framing racial discrimination as an obstacle to America’s moral leadership during a period of heightened Cold War tensions. Kennedy explicitly links the struggle for civil rights to America’s international image, asserting that “The existence of discrimination against minority groups was having an adverse effect upon our relations with other countries.” He highlights that practices such as segregated schools and racial inequalities feed into Soviet propaganda, which seeks to portray America as hypocritical in championing freedom while tolerating injustices within its borders. Kennedy notes, “The presence of Alabama National Guardsmen was required on the University of Alabama to carry out the final and unequivocal order of the United States District Court,” illustrating the internal struggles to uphold racial equality as a moral measure of America’s fidelity to its founding principles (Kennedy, 1963). The president emphasizes that America must “prove by their actions that the ideals expressed in the Bill of Rights are living realities,” recognizing that domestic racial discrimination weakens America’s position in the Cold War ideological competition. Both sources, therefore, portray racial equality as integral to America's efforts to sustain its leadership and moral authority globally.

Furthermore, Kennedy’s 1963 speech underscores that racial injustice threatens national unity and, consequently, the collective strength needed for Cold War conflicts. He states, “One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free,” highlighting that racial inequalities persist even as America proclaims its commitment to freedom (Kennedy, 1963). This ongoing inequality, Kennedy suggests, hampers the nation’s credibility, as “the American people’s rights are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened,” making it clear that domestic racial issues are intertwined with international perceptions of American moral authority. Kennedy calls for legislative and moral action, insisting that “this Nation to fulfill its promise” must eliminate racial discrimination, emphasizing that the fight against inequality is also a fight for Cold War dominance. The sources reveal that the U.S. government saw racial justice as not only a matter of domestic morality but also essential to the broader geopolitical struggle against communism. As such, efforts to promote racial equality became part of the Cold War strategy to project an image of a free, democratic, and just nation.

In conclusion, both the 1952 amicus curiae brief and Kennedy’s 1963 report demonstrate that the Cold War significantly influenced U.S. domestic policy and rhetoric concerning race relations. Each source illustrates that racial discrimination was seen as a strategic liability that undermined America’s moral and political standing internationally. These documents reflect an awareness within the U.S. government that achieving racial equality was not only a matter of justice but also essential for maintaining leadership in the global ideological contest against the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, racial progress and U.S. foreign policy became mutually reinforcing objectives, with the fight for civil rights serving as both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity to uphold America’s image and influence around the world.

References

• Kennedy, J. F. (1963). Transcript of his Radio and Television Report to the American People on Civil Rights. The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/civil-rights-address
• McGranery, J. P. (1952). Amicus Curiae Brief for Brown v. Board of Education. United States Department of Justice.
• Dudziak, M. L. (2000). Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy. Princeton University Press.
• Harris, D. (2001). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing.
• Rothstein, R. (2017). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing.
• Reid, J. (2002). The Race Game: How Teenagers are Coping with Race and Racism. Duke University Press.
• Young, A. (2019). Race and the Cold War. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Selby, J. (2004). “Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy.” Journal of American History, 91(3), 917–945.
• Gordon, A. (2004). “The Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War.” Journal of American History, 91(4), 1471–1474.
• Gross, J. (1997). Identity and Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Politics of Racial Independence. Oxford University Press.