Kimberly Sarmiento - People That Changed the Course of History: The Story of John F. Kennedy 100 Years After His Birth

People that Changed the Course of History:
The Story of John F. Kennedy 100 Years After His Birth

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sarmiento, Kimberly, 1975- author.

Title: People that changed the course of history : the story of John F.

Kennedy 100 years after his birth / by Kimberly Sarmiento.

Other titles: Story of John F. Kennedy 100 years after his birth

Description: Ocala, Florida : Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 2016. |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016029234| ISBN 9781620231487 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN

9781620232286 (library : alk. paper) | ISBN 1620231484 (alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963--Juvenile

literature. | Presidents--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC E842.Z9 S28 2016 | DDC 973.922092 [B] --dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016029234

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sources for image(s) or footage (as applicable) include the following: under public domain from the Library of Congress, under public domain from Wikimedia Commons, and with permissions from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Back cover photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-CalTech.

DISCLAIMER: The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within this book was correct at time of publication. The author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from accident, negligence, or any other cause.

Printed in the United States

PROJECT MANAGER AND EDITOR: Rebekah Sack rsack@atlantic-pub.com
INTERIOR LAYOUT AND JACKET DESIGN: Steven W. Booth steven@geniusbookcompany.com
COVER DESIGN: Jackie Miller millerjackiej@gmail.com

History and Literature
are two of our best teachers in life.
One of my favorite authors said

If you dont know history, then you dont know anything.
You are a leaf that doesnt know it is part of a tree.
Michael Crichton

This book is dedicated to the young minds
I strive to cultivate:
Andrew, Ayla, Ashley, & Julian
Im proud of how much you all love history
and your related achievements.
Remember that history is an endless source
of instruction and inspiration.
I hope you never stop learning from it!

Prologue

Imagine: a southern town, election day, 1968 Three black men of varying ages are standing outside a building. Its early on a November morning in 1968. The weather is comfortable, but they still look a bit chilly. Its probably just nerves. The oldest of the men turns to the others and asks, Is this your first time voting? The youngest, a man in his mid-20s, answers quickly, Its mine. Im kind of excited. But I hope we dont have any issues. The middle-aged black man smiles at him. We wont. Ive voted in every election for the last two years. I think our votes are even finding their way over to the Supervisor of Elections office these days. The young man looks concerned for a minute. You dont think they would purposefully lose our votes, do you? The two older men laugh. Theyd probably like to, but the federal government is watching them pretty closely right now, said the middle-aged man. We just might get a black Councilman this year. They wont like that much, but there are more of us in this town than them, so they should get used to it. Think we will ever get a black president? the young man said with a gleam of hope in his eyes. Thats too big for me to dream young man, the oldest man said. Im just happy to vote without having to recite sections from the U.S. Constitution. I know a lot of it though more than the people who used to ask me those questions did, Id bet. The young man shook his head. I cant believe what they used to get away with. Thank God for that Kennedy and his man Johnson. Too bad they killed him. Yeah, it was too bad, said the middle-aged man. I was living in Dallas back then. I saw him before he was shot. Craziest thing I ever went through, and I served in the war. Did you the young man hesitated. Did I see what happened? the middle-aged man finished for him. Nah. Not really. I was standing around with the crowd. My daughter was on my shoulders. She wanted to see the fist ladee thats what she called Mrs. Kennedy, he said with a smile. I saw his car drive by, and she started waving with everything she had. She saw Mrs. Kennedy waving, and I think she thought they were waving at her. Then, I heard shots, and people were running and screaming. I just grabbed her off my shoulders and curled her up by a tree and waited until it all seemed safe. That took awhile, but I couldnt think of anything but my little girl, he explained. It wasnt until I was walking home that I started hearing bits and pieces of what happened. When I got home, my wife and what seemed like half the neighborhood were crowded around our little black and white television. I sat down to Walter Cronkite telling the world that the crazy mess I was just in had been about someone killing the president. It was unreal. Wow. Thats pretty intense, the young man said. I was working that day. I didnt hear about it until the next day. I didnt have a television, so I didnt know until I saw the newspaper that someone left on the bus I took to work. I heard about it on the radio, the older man said. My wife cried. Just then, the shades lifted on the windows and the doors unlocked. An older woman stepped out of the building and eyed up the three black men as well as the line that had started to form behind them.