TRANSITION TO THE PRESIDENCY
Five days after taking office, President Johnson revealed his plans to move forward with Kennedy's agenda for the nation. In address to Congress called "Let Us Continue," he called on lawmakers to honor President Kennedy's memory by passing key pieces of legislation, including a civil rights bill that would eliminate segregation in public places.
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President Johnson used his first few days in office to speak with key individuals and leaders. This telephone conversation between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Johnson happened on November 25, 1963 - the day of President Kennedy's funeral and two days before President Johnson's "Let Us Continue" speech.
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LBJ: I want to tell you how grateful I am, and how worthy I’m going to try to be of all your hopes.
MLK: Well, thank you very much. I’m so happy to hear that, and I knew that you had just that great spirit, and you know you have our support and backing—
LBJ: Well—
MLK: --because we know what a difficult period this is. [Inaudible]
LBJ: It’s just an impossible period. We’ve got a budget coming up that’s—we’ve got nothing to do with it; it’s practically already made. And we’ve got a civil rights bill that hadn’t even passed the House, and it’s November, and Hubert Humphrey told me yesterday everybody wanted to go home. We’ve got a tax bill that they haven’t touched. We just got to let up—not let up on any of them and keep going and--
MLK: Yes.
LBJ: --I guess they’ll say that I’m repudiated. But I’m going to ask the Congress Wednesday to just stay there until they pass them all. They won’t do it. But we’ll just keep them there next year until they do, and we just won’t give up an inch.
MLK: Uh-uh. Well this is mighty fine. I think it’s so imperative. I think one of the great tributes that we can pay in memory of President Kennedy is to try to enact some of the great, progressive policies that he sought to initiate.
LBJ: Well, I’m going to support them all, and you can count on that. And I’m going to do my best to get other men to do likewise, and I’ll have to have y’all’s help.
MLK: Right.
LBJ: I never needed it more than I do now.
MLK: Well, you know you have it, and just feel free to call on us for anything.
LBJ: Thank you so much, Martin.
MLK: All right. Give my—
LBJ: Call me when you’re—
MLK: --regards to the family.
LBJ: I sure will. And call me when you’re down here next time.
MLK: I certainly will, Mr. President.
LBJ: Let’s get together. And any suggestions you’ve got, bring them in.
MLK: Fine, I certainly will do that.
LBJ: Thank you so much.
MLK: Thank you for calling.
This transcript is an excerpt from the Presidential Recordings Digital Edition, published by Rotunda, the digital imprint of the University of Virginia Press, in collaboration with the Miller Center. Permission is courtesy of Rotunda. Copyright 2014 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
THink ABOUT THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN dr. King and president Johnson
Why do you think that Dr. King was one of the leaders President Johnson spoke with?
What did this phone call tell you about the relationship between the two leaders?
What does Dr. King recommend President Johnson should do?