Discover the remarkable life and legacy of Robert F. Kennedy, an iconic figure known for his passion for justice and civil rights. Explore his journey from a young attorney to a beloved political leader and champion of equality.
Famous Speeches
In what is perhaps one of his most poignant and timely addresses, Kennedy spoke to a grief-stricken crowd in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He called for peace, wisdom, and compassion towards one another."For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United States, we have to make an effort to understand, to go beyond these rather difficult times.
Robert F. Kennedy's Life
● Born: November 20, 1925, in Brookline, Massachusetts.
● Education: Graduated from Harvard University in 1948 and from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1951.
● Early Career: Began his career in public service as a counsel to Senate committees, notably working for the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations.
● U.S. Attorney General: Served from January 1961 to September 1964 under his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and briefly under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was a staunch advocate for civil rights and played a key role in the administration’s efforts against organized crime.
● U.S. Senator: Elected as a Senator from New York in 1964, serving until his assassination in 1968. He continued to focus on issues of social justice, poverty, and the Vietnam War.
● Presidential Campaign: Announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President in 1968, emphasizing social change and opposition to the Vietnam War.
● Assassination: Fatally shot on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, shortly after claiming victory in California's Democratic presidential primary. Died on June 6, 1968.
● Legacy: Remembered as a symbol of hope and progress for many Americans, advocating for equality, justice, and a more compassionate society.
Top 10 Robert F. Kennedy Quotes
1. "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
2. "Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not."
3. "Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom, decency, and justice."
4. "The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better."
5. "Ripple of hope: Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope."
6. "Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."
7. "It is not more bigness that should be our goal. We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility, and to the dignity of simplicity, of well-performed work, and of a personal involvement with the earth and its creatures."
8. "Violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul."
9. "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped."
10. "All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity."