As history, backed up by Dick Goodwin’s documentation, points out, John F. Kennedy was in the midst of overseeing many profound societal changes when he was assassinated, and Johnson, on assuming the presidency, became determined to see these initiatives through to completion. According to Goodwin, who knew him well and worked closely with him, Johnson was sincere in his desire to improve the lives of the poor and the working class and to assist Black people and other minorities in obtaining equal rights. As part of an initiative called the Great Society, he pushed through legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which focused on housing discrimination. In addition, the Food Stamp Program, Medicare, and Medicaid were all initiated in 1964 and 1965 due to his efforts. In 1964, he was elected to the presidency by an unprecedented landslide.
Alas, though: Johnson’s reputation became irreparably tarnished by the escalation of the Vietnam War during his presidency. In fact, it was opposition to the war that finally led Goodwin to leave the White House. He wanted his friend Robert Kennedy to make a run for president, but when Kennedy hesitated, Goodwin allied himself with the budding campaign of Eugene McCarthy, assisting McCarthy in getting his campaign off the ground. However, when Kennedy opted in, Goodwin returned to him. It appeared as if Kennedy was going to win the Democratic nomination, but then he, like his brother, was assassinated by a gunman.
Another major player in this drama was Martin Luther King, Jr. He worked closely with Johnson during the victories of the Great Society, but he broke with the president over the issue of the Vietnam War. When King was shot and killed, shortly before Kennedy’s murder, rioting broke out around the country; it was difficult to quell the grief and anger.
All of these events are explained from an insider’s perspective as Doris and Richard Goodwin go through his papers, notes, journal entries, newspaper clippings, and so on – and add to the historical accounts with personal reminiscences. After their careers in politics, both Doris and Richard went on to become teachers and writers, but the heart of this book is their involvement in the history-defining activities of the sixties. For me, reading it was like hopping aboard a time machine back to that era and reliving events that shaped my own life, the country, and the world. I realized as I read that the government-induced violence and polarization of the present are not unique. Every historical period has its heroes and its villains, and in the case of politicians these are often the same people depending upon the decisions they make and the actions they take in the context of their times. Johnson was first adulated for his efforts to improve the lives of downtrodden Americans and then excoriated for his continual escalation of the Vietnam War effort. As a result, he has a mixed legacy. John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy’s lives were cut short before they could fulfill their potential. So it goes. That the country was able to pull itself out of the quagmire of the Vietnam War and the resultant internal disunity gives me hope that we might somehow be able to recover from the present chaos once again.
In a perfect world, reflecting on the mistakes of the past would help us not make those mistakes again. Of course, this world is far from perfect, but we should not forget the struggles of the past, for though in them there is great tragedy and grief, there is also great nobility and heroism. The author herself says it best in the epilogue: “We are clearly in the midst of a profound ‘testing time’ today, and at such times, I have long argued, the study of history is crucial to provide perspective, warning, counsel, and even comfort. At a moment when the guidance of history is most needed, however, history itself is under attack, its relevance in school curriculums questioned.” And concerning the subject matter of this book, she adds: “Too often, memories of assassination, violence, and social turmoil have obscured the greatest illumination of the Sixties, the spark of communal idealism and belief that kindled social justice and love for a more inclusive vision of America.” I wrote of this recently, in fact, in my essay “During Times like These,” in which I balance the chaos and violence of the sixties with the humanistic revival that took place as an inevitable reaction. I wrote: “This internal awakening, which swept across the country and around the world, was like a bright shining light in the midst of the deep darkness of government-imposed violence. And this light inspired artistic representations in music, literature, film, and other mediums. It made the era special not only because of its crass horrific ignorance and violence, but also because of the awakening of the best in humankind, the brotherhood and sisterhood of all of us, the willingness to esteem others, regardless of their idiosyncratic characteristics, as beloved equals, and to assist those in need. Beneath the ubiquitous barbarity in the daily news ran an undercurrent of countercultural tranquility and harmony. I remember it well. It made the sixties and seventies special. It united those of good will.”
In closing, not many people have had the advantage of a close-up look at crucial historical events like the author of this book and her husband. This makes it a document of inestimable value that holds important clues for our collective way forward.
John Walters 