JUSTICE RISING

A distillation of the motivations and importance of Robert F. Kennedy’s life and legacy.

In this enterprising biography, University of South Carolina history professor Sullivan seeks to encapsulate the essence of Kennedy’s journey as an advocate for the oppressed and disadvantaged in America. In equal measure, she humanizes Kennedy and those around him by using precise, occasionally exhausting detail. Though some sections are dry, the accretion of historical moments lends enough of a novelistic air to the book to keep the pages turning. The impeccably researched text encompasses the entirety of Kennedy’s political career, with weight given to the transformation he underwent in terms of how he conceptualized racial oppression and poverty in the U.S. and abroad. Sullivan also carefully considers the specific methods Kennedy sought to implement to change the state of race relations and combat poverty in the U.S. In doing so, she effectively shows why Kennedy, who cared deeply about the plights of his fellow citizens, was beloved by millions. The author nicely balances cogent analyses of Kennedy’s large-scale policies—focused on, among other significant issues, poverty, desegregation, integration, and the Vietnam War—and the more personal nuances involved in his interactions with not just Americans, but also people in other nations around the world. Though the author relies heavily on quotations, it’s not burdensome. Rather than paraphrasing political arguments, Sullivan effectively conveys the message directly from the primary sources to readers. This approach also allows the author to portray the power of Kennedy’s speeches. In 1966, writes Sullivan, “Kennedy warned that ‘it would be a national disaster to permit resentment and fear to drive increasing numbers of white and black Americans into opposing camps of distrust and enmity.’ There was but one choice, he said: ‘to face our difficulties and strive to overcome them, or turn away, bringing repression, increasing human pain, and civil strife.’ ”

A sharp portrayal of the potential of the 1960s through the lens of RFK.