A speech delivered by president Lyndon B ; Johnson’s at Howard university”.
In this speech, J deals with the progress in the black history: all the positive evolutions that have been obtained to reach equity between blacks and whites. This speech is full of hope and this extract enables us to understand Johnson’s vision of future.
In the 1st paragraph he introduces his speech, pointing out the symbolic size of Howard University, as the place where colored pupils have just been accepted in attending lessons. He pursues saying our world would change and must change. The revolution of the “Negro American” is the first example of what would happen in the coming years.
In the 4th paragraph, he admires all the steps that have been put in process: demonstrations, peaceful events, .. J underlines the fact the civil rights legislation passed on the Supreme Court. He mentions the future bill that he will support: the right to vote for all Americans.
In the 6th part, he declares that it is not enough, that they must go further. Refering to Churchill, he says “it is just the beginning of a lot of changes”, that will lead to freedom for everybody: freedom to choose their life, to get the job they want to etc ..
However, in the 7th paragraph, he introduces a new idea: that all the blacks have been victims of a lot of discriminations and that the American state mustn’t behave as if nothing has never happened, as if slavery is now belonging to the past. We could easily understand that his vision is a precursor of the “affirmative action”.
Then, he declares that he will fight to give every American the opportunity to choose to become who he wants to. That’s why he is convinced that people must have all the tools to pursue their individual achievement. It is one step to give minorities the equity of right - from a legal point - but Authorities must also provide an effective equity of treatment for all citizens in their daily life.

The question of affirmative action is a