JFK Inauguration Speech
Brief Description
Students will listen to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech and reflect on his call for
citizenship.
Purpose
• To understand how JFK conceptualized citizenship in 1961
• To compare JFK’s conceptualization of citizenship with the Social Change Model
Leadership Emory Tenant
Ethical Engagement and Citizenship
Kolb Cycle
Reflective Observation
Number of Participants
Any size is appropriate
Time Requirements
45-60 minutes
Space requirements
None
Materials
Computer, projection capabilities
Outline
1. Students will watch or listen to JFK’s inaugural address that took place on January 20,
1961. Encourage students to pay attention to how JFK talks about citizenship in his
address (possibly have them take notes on scrap paper) (16 minutes)
2. Students will spend time reflecting on how JFK conceptualizes community, and what his
call is for Americans (15 minutes)
3. Students share with the large group their reactions to the speech
Processing Questions
• Do JFK’s comments about citizenship mesh well with how the Social Change Model
defines it?
• What was happening in our history at the time of this speech?
• If he were alive today, how do you think JFK would respond if he was asked to reflect on
how well America heeded his calls for renewed citizenship in this speech?
Extension
It may be helpful to know the context of this speech. Some highlights are:
• American "U2" spy plane was shot down over the USSR
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Nixon vs. Kennedy was the first televised presidential debate
A plot to overthrow the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba known as the Bay of Pigs invasion
was planned by Eisenhower, JFK’s predecessor
Racism was still highly contested in the US (issues of segregation and integration were
high)
Involvement in Vietnam was happening, although the war had not yet started
Kennedy would later go on to create the Peace Corps
Sources
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm
Wagner, W., Ostick, D. T., & Komives, S. R. (2007). Leadership for a Better World:
Understanding the Social Change Model of Leadership Development Instructor’s
Manual. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Keywords
Citizenship, President, hero, JFK, community