In a world that seemed to have lost its moral compass, Robert Kennedy was a stalwart guide. He both recognized and acted upon the moral imperative of ending social and racial inequality, even when these beliefs proved unpopular. Working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ralph Abernathy strongly influenced Kennedy’s work to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while he served as Attorney General. Kennedy believed that, like racial inequality, social injustice—particularly as this related to impoverished children—was fundamentally destructive for a nation and its people. He also believed firmly that those on whom fortune had smiled had a moral obligation to help those less fortunate. Additionally, Kennedy’s strong moral convictions led him to become a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, challenging how an advanced society could wage war on a poor, underdeveloped country while knowing the destruction and devastation that it was wreaking.
RFK demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the change process particularly as this related to civil rights. He understood the challenges and hardships that would be encountered before changes to racial equality became institutionalized, and he countered these with prowess and patience. Additionally, Kennedy displayed a keen ability to make friends of his enemies. Several historians point to the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr., initially dismissed Kennedy’s actions as being “soft-shoed” and ineffective, but through consistency of his words and actions, Kennedy earned the respect of King and—by and large—of a nation. Kennedy’s willingness to reach out during the Cuban Missile Crisis and forge a relationship with the “enemy—the Soviet ambassador—helped the US back safely from the precipice of imminent nuclear engagement.
While he demonstrated a thorough understanding of knowledge building / sharing and its importance to the efficiency and success of any organization, Kennedy also recognized that the overt hostility of Lyndon Johnson and J. Edgar Hoover created an environment contrary to knowledge building and sharing; hence, he resigned his post as Attorney General and elected to challenge Johnson for the presidency. In his work to enact civil rights legislation, Kennedy showed prowess in coherence making, which “involves seeking a balance between letting go and even encouraging ‘disturbance’ on the one hand and building coherence, sense and direction on the other. This is the main challenge . . . disturbing the system in such a way "that approximates to the desired outcome" (Learning). Kennedy understood that stress, disorder, and discomfort were necessary products of expanding minds and examining preconceived beliefs, and he was comfortable in his role as the catalyst of this discord.
Civil rights. (n.d.). Robert F. Kennedy. Retrieved September 23, 2010, from
http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
David, L., & David, I. (1986). Bobby Kennedy: The making of a folk hero. New
York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company
Kennedy, R. F. (1969). Thirteen days: A memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. New
York NY: W.W. Norton
Robert Kennedy. (2010). Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved September 25,
2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kennedy-Robert.html
Simkin, J. (1998). Robert F. Kennedy: biography. In Spartacus educational.
Retrieved September 25, 2010, from http:///www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAkennedyR.htm
Robert F. Kennedy
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Leadership Qualities
Robert F. Kennedy's leadership style is perhaps best characterized by the empathy, strong moral compass, and strength of conviction that served as the pier to which all of Kennedy's crucial decision were moored. Kennedy's ability to empathize with others--his keenness in viewing situations from another's frame of reference and predicting responses--served the nation well when, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bobby was able to anticipate Krushchev's response to each action proposed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The wherewithal to understand the perspectives of others--when employed to guide decisions affecting those individuals. Additionally, Kennedy's willingness to make decisions according to his personal code of ethics--which dictated for him the imperative of ending social injustice, racial inequality, and the Vietnam War--was complemented by his steadfastness in his principles and beliefs even when these proved unpopular. Rather than marginalizing him as a radical, Kennedy's strength of conviction instilled in the public a belief that his ideas could actually effect the change he sought to make in the world.
Kennedy's leadership characteristics were shaped by several important events and factors in his life. While his strong Catholic upbringing helped to shape his moral compass, it was his service as his brother's most trusted adviser and, subsequently, the death of President Kennedy, that shaped Bobby's vision and style and thrust Kennedy into the political limelight. It was his service as Attorney General, however, and--more notably--the experiences this afforded him with civil rights and the ingrained prejudices of the south that led to the awakening of Kennedy's social conscience regarding matters of race and equality.
Kennedy believed that, "Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly." His willingness to sacrifice popularity for righteousness--his fearlessness in drafting progressive social policy that was poorly received by the conservative voting base--became a cornerstone of Kennedy's political modus operandi: he felt and believed deeply, and he acted accordingly, regardless of the cost. Kennedy's moral compass, however, did not always point due north. His support of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion led indirectly to Castro's growing insecurity in his position as leader of Cuba, a paranoia that was a contributing factor to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy learned from the failure of the invasion and advised his brother to refrain from striking first during the Crisis standoff as he predicted the various scenarios that would spring from a preemptive strike. He modified his approach in response to previous failure, reaching out through secret channels to Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin to facilitate a secret deal with Krushchev.
Civil rights. (n.d.). Robert F. Kennedy. Retrieved September 23, 2010, from
http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
David, L., & David, I. (1986). Bobby Kennedy: The making of a folk hero. New
York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company
Kennedy, R. F. (1969). Thirteen days: A memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. New
York NY: W.W. Norton
Robert Kennedy. (2010). Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved September 25,
2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kennedy-Robert.html
Simkin, J. (1998). Robert F. Kennedy: biography. In Spartacus educational.
Retrieved September 25, 2010, from http:///www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAkennedyR.htm
Kennedy's leadership characteristics were shaped by several important events and factors in his life. While his strong Catholic upbringing helped to shape his moral compass, it was his service as his brother's most trusted adviser and, subsequently, the death of President Kennedy, that shaped Bobby's vision and style and thrust Kennedy into the political limelight. It was his service as Attorney General, however, and--more notably--the experiences this afforded him with civil rights and the ingrained prejudices of the south that led to the awakening of Kennedy's social conscience regarding matters of race and equality.
Kennedy believed that, "Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly." His willingness to sacrifice popularity for righteousness--his fearlessness in drafting progressive social policy that was poorly received by the conservative voting base--became a cornerstone of Kennedy's political modus operandi: he felt and believed deeply, and he acted accordingly, regardless of the cost. Kennedy's moral compass, however, did not always point due north. His support of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion led indirectly to Castro's growing insecurity in his position as leader of Cuba, a paranoia that was a contributing factor to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy learned from the failure of the invasion and advised his brother to refrain from striking first during the Crisis standoff as he predicted the various scenarios that would spring from a preemptive strike. He modified his approach in response to previous failure, reaching out through secret channels to Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin to facilitate a secret deal with Krushchev.
Civil rights. (n.d.). Robert F. Kennedy. Retrieved September 23, 2010, from
http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
David, L., & David, I. (1986). Bobby Kennedy: The making of a folk hero. New
York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company
Kennedy, R. F. (1969). Thirteen days: A memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. New
York NY: W.W. Norton
Robert Kennedy. (2010). Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved September 25,
2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kennedy-Robert.html
Simkin, J. (1998). Robert F. Kennedy: biography. In Spartacus educational.
Retrieved September 25, 2010, from http:///www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAkennedyR.htm
Sunday, September 26, 2010
RFK - Civil Rights Visionary
The seventh of nine children born (1925) to a political dynasty, Robert Kennedy would emerge from the shadows of his enigmatic older brother as a defender of humanity--a civil rights activist who paid the ultimate price to better the lives of his fellow man. Kennedy's noteworthy political career began humbly when he left Harvard (later graduating in 1948) to join the US Navy. He obtained a law degree from the University of Virginia and began a meteoric rise in the political arena by working with the US Department of Justice before leaving to facilitate his brother's successful presidential campaign. Appointed by his brother John F. Kennedy as the US Attorney General, Bobby Kennedy became the president's most trusted advisor and helped him navigate such tenuous matters as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the enactment of Civil Rights legislation, the battle against organized crime, and the Vietnam War. The 1963 assassination of President Kennedy--along with the United States' increasing involvement in Vietnam--galvanized Bobby Kennedy's presidential aspirations. Shortly after winning the California primary on June 5, 1968, and addressing his campaign supporters, Robert Kennedy was assassinated by Palestinian radical Sirhan Sirhan, allegedly for his support of the Jews during the six-day war.
The legacy of Bobby Kennedy was forged in the fight against oppression and for social justice. He was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War who questioned the morality of any war against a third-world country, and he readily allied himself with Cesar Chavez in protesting the treatment of migrant farm workers in California. Kennedy's most impassioned mission, however, was that of civil rights. While serving as attorney general Kennedy enforced legislation that dismantled Jim Crow laws and enfranchised blacks, and he sent US Marshals--and later deployed reservists--to Oxford, Mississippi, to enforce a Federal Court Order admitting the first black student, James Meredith, to the University of Mississippi. A close confederate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Kennedy carried the torch ignited by King after King's assassination.
Bobby Kennedy was committed unabashedly to the moral imperative of equality, alienating many in the wake of his fervor. He did so knowingly, admitting that he would likely not become president, but he believed that, "Somebody has to speak up for the Negroes and Indians and Mexicans and poor whites"(Simkin). Like his staunch opposition of Vietnam War, Kennedy's beliefs regarding civil rights were largely unpopular, but this did nothing to dissuade his efforts in working toward racial equality. Kennedy's commitment to the cause of social justice--and his knowing sacrifice in order to achieve this mission--engendered the success of the Civil Rights Movement and left a lasting legacy of service to the down-trodden and suffering.
Civil rights. (n.d.). Robert F. Kennedy. Retrieved September 23, 2010, from
http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
David, L., & David, I. (1986). Bobby Kennedy: The making of a folk hero. New
York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company
Kennedy, R. F. (1969). Thirteen days: A memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. New
York NY: W.W. Norton
Robert Kennedy. (2010). Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved September 25,
2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kennedy-Robert.html
Simkin, J. (1998). Robert F. Kennedy: biography. In Spartacus educational.
Retrieved September 25, 2010, from http:///www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAkennedyR.htm
The legacy of Bobby Kennedy was forged in the fight against oppression and for social justice. He was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War who questioned the morality of any war against a third-world country, and he readily allied himself with Cesar Chavez in protesting the treatment of migrant farm workers in California. Kennedy's most impassioned mission, however, was that of civil rights. While serving as attorney general Kennedy enforced legislation that dismantled Jim Crow laws and enfranchised blacks, and he sent US Marshals--and later deployed reservists--to Oxford, Mississippi, to enforce a Federal Court Order admitting the first black student, James Meredith, to the University of Mississippi. A close confederate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Kennedy carried the torch ignited by King after King's assassination.
Bobby Kennedy was committed unabashedly to the moral imperative of equality, alienating many in the wake of his fervor. He did so knowingly, admitting that he would likely not become president, but he believed that, "Somebody has to speak up for the Negroes and Indians and Mexicans and poor whites"(Simkin). Like his staunch opposition of Vietnam War, Kennedy's beliefs regarding civil rights were largely unpopular, but this did nothing to dissuade his efforts in working toward racial equality. Kennedy's commitment to the cause of social justice--and his knowing sacrifice in order to achieve this mission--engendered the success of the Civil Rights Movement and left a lasting legacy of service to the down-trodden and suffering.
Civil rights. (n.d.). Robert F. Kennedy. Retrieved September 23, 2010, from
http:///en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
David, L., & David, I. (1986). Bobby Kennedy: The making of a folk hero. New
York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company
Kennedy, R. F. (1969). Thirteen days: A memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. New
York NY: W.W. Norton
Robert Kennedy. (2010). Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved September 25,
2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kennedy-Robert.html
Simkin, J. (1998). Robert F. Kennedy: biography. In Spartacus educational.
Retrieved September 25, 2010, from http:///www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
USAkennedyR.htm
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