By Sandra K. Yocum
IKE with John H. Sengstake
IKE with Frederic Morrow
Dwight D. Eisenhower, elected in 1952, was mindful of the
southern Democratic congressional commitment to racial segregation, but he was
determined to eliminate racial discrimination in all areas of his authority.
Some historians write that the President was not known for his support of the
civil rights movement, but his ability to respond to problems and lead the
Nation is remarkable. Here is what he accomplished during his administration:
- Created
the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, April 11, 1953
- Appointed
Chief Justice Earl Warren to the Supreme Court in 1954, Who Wrote the
First Major Decision of the Warren Court, Brown v. Board of
Education
- Issued
Executive Orders to Halt Segregation in Washington D.C.
- July
7, 1954, Appointed Elbert Tuttle, U.S. Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit),
Who Ended Segregation at University of Mississippi for James Meredith as
Well as Many Other Cases in the South
- Appointed
First Black, Frederic Morrow, to the Executive Staff of the White House
From 1955 – 1961
- Civil
Rights Act of 1957, Creates the Civil Rights Division in the Justice
Department
- Sent
101st Airborne to Little Rock, Arkansas to Restore Order
and Allow the Little Rock 9 to Desegregate the School
- Met
with Black Leaders in 1958 to Discuss Plans to Advance Civil Rights
- Civil
Rights Act of 1960 Which Further Addressed the Voting Rights of Black
Americans
- Received
Robert S. Abbott Award From the Publisher of the ChicagoDefender,
John H. Sengstake, Nephew of Robert S. Abbott
President Eisenhower was the first president since
Reconstruction to use federal troops to support blacks, but he did so with
criticism on both sides of the aisle; those who felt he did not do enough for
blacks and others who thought that asserting federal power over states’ rights
was wrong.
About
the author: Sandra K. Yocum is the Founder/President of the Yocum
African-American History Association (YAAHA) that is dedicated to the restoration
and preservation of the events which shaped the lives and contributions of
African-Americans. Information can be found at: www.itsmorningagain.com
