On June 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy asked the nation to confront a “moral crisis”—the oppressive discrimination of African Americans. Kennedy’s call to action was a long time coming. His three immediate predecessors had acted to reduce racial injustice–Roosevelt created the Fair Employment Practices Committee; Truman ordered an end to segregation in the armed forces; and Eisenhower dispatched federal troops to force school desegregation–but none had placed the presidency squarely behind the movement for civil rights.

Lyndon Johnson went further, pressing Congress to enact landmark legislation and insisting that it was ”all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry. And we shall overcome.”

The legacy of LBJ’s successor is perplexing. Richard Nixon’s administration enforced desegregation orders and launched affirmative action programs, but also crafted a “southern strategy’’ to win the backing of disaffected whites.

In this course, which will be a mix of lecture and discussion, we’ll consider the attitudes and actions of the six presidents from Roosevelt to Nixon, examining episodes from each administration, looking at steps taken and steps avoided.