Wow! eBook
The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory
Author(s): Sharron Wilkins Conrad (Author)
- Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
- Publication Date: June 9, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 272 pages
- ISBN-10: 1469694441
- ISBN-13: 9781469694443
Book Description
In this provocative history, Sharron Wilkins Conrad traces the Trinity across several decades, showing how African Americans didn’t merely remember the civil rights movement; they shaped its meaning.
The Trinity reveals why Kennedy’s image hung beside King and Christ, while Lyndon B. Johnson, despite signing landmark legislation such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, remained largely unheralded. Kennedy’s charisma, symbolic promise, and perceived martyrdom placed him among sacred icons, while Johnson—seen as transactional and confronted by the era’s growing impatience—never secured the same emotional legacy. In a gripping exploration of memory and meaning-making, Conrad reveals how communities create historical truths by elevating some leaders, sidelining others, and preserving their own visions in defiance of the official record.Editorial Reviews
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