Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-192-001
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s address at the United States Conference of Mayors held at the Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. In his speech the President states that although federal and state legislation may improve civil rights, community leadership is crucial because of the comprehensive nature of race relations, which effects housing, employment, education, and local economies. He proposes five courses of action for mayors to improve race relations in their cities: establish a biracial Human Relations Committee, ensure the constitutionality of local practices, follow non-discriminatory employment practices for municipal workers, create a special campaign to lessen unemployment by reducing school drop-outs among both races, and enact equal opportunity ordinances concerning housing, employment, and access to public facilities.