- When MLK was arrested Kennedy rang King’s wife, Coretta and his brother, Robert Kennedy, telephoned the judge to encourage King’s release.
- Freedom Rides 1961, an integrated group travelled the south testing the Supreme Court rulings against segregation on interstate transport (Morgan vs Virginia 1946, Boynton vs Virginia 1960) > If faced with violence, then their attackers could be exposed as acting illegally
= State officials could arrest the riders but had to prevent white attacks reducing the publicity the riders gained
= As expected, southern racists attacked black passengers and set fire to their buses. The police did little > Kennedy was reluctant to interfere
- Albany Campaign (1961-62) > Local police chief, Laurie Pritchett, handled the situation shrewdly. He prevented white demonstrators from being violent and ordered his police to treat demonstrators gently > Pritchett’s actions robbed the campaign of publicity
= parks closed rather than desegregated and federal government had not been obliged to act as there was little violence.
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