"Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome." — Lyndon B. Johnson, "American Promise" Address to Congress, March 15, 1965
Johnson's invocation of "We Shall Overcome" was significant because it:
- A
Quoted directly from the Declaration of Independence
- B
Echoed Eisenhower's 1957 farewell address
- Ccheck_circle
Aligned the President of the United States rhetorically with the civil rights movement's anthem
- D
Referenced a popular country music hit of 1965
Explanation
By using the freedom movement's anthem, LBJ symbolically pledged the federal government to the cause — a moment civil rights leaders, including King watching on television, found extraordinary.