The Kennedy Family

I grew up during the civil rights era. My parents spoke highly of the Kennedy family. They represented hope for Black people living in poverty in the segregated South. Many Black people had pictures of Jesus, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President John F. Kennedy hanging on their kitchen walls. Over time, Robert F. Kennedy and Teddy Kennedy joined the list of favorites. The Kennedy’s lived their lives in the eyes of the public, so it was almost like we knew them. I must admit, I was intrigued with the Kennedy family.

I read the book, Bobby Kennedy-A Raging Spirt-by Chris Matthews. The author traced Robert F. Kennedy (Bobby), intriguing life from his early life. This early life consisted of the history of the world’s most known Irish Catholic family.

The patriarch of the Kennedy family was Joseph. He majored in economics at Harvard. At age 25, he became the youngest bank president in the country. He advanced rapidly among the Boston Irish elite. He married Rose Fitzgerald, the daughter, the daughter of the mayor of Boston. They were both from wealthy and political Irish Catholic families. Together, they had nine children. Joseph Kennedy was known for his political prominence and wealth through investments. He was a leading member of the Democratic Party. He served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to late 1940. Rose was a philanthropist and socialite. Joseph was described as outspoken and widely disliked. His goal was to help his firstborn, Joseph Jr., to become President.

Joseph Sr. was very ambitious but he was prevented from achieving social acceptance by the gatekeepers of the New England order. The doors were shut because of the Kennedy name and their background. They were affluent but the social gates were closed to them.  They left Boston and moved to an affluent community in New York. They felt they were forced out of their hometown but others were not sympathetic. Fellow Irish Americans felt their move was self –banishment.

The year after arriving in their new home in Bronxville, New York, there was a presidential election. Herbert Hoover was the 1928 Republican nominee to the White House. His Democratic opponent was Al Smith. He was born into an Irish Italian family and eventually became the governor of New York. He lost to Hoover and failed to carry his home state. It was thought he was beaten because he was Catholic.

Joseph Kennedy, Sr. had quietly voted for Herbert Hoover. Hoover had a first rate reputation as an economics manager. After WWI, he distributed U.S. food to post war Europe. Hoover served as secretary of commerce under previous president, Calvin Coolidge. His hope was that Hoover would continue the prosperity during the previous administration. Reportedly, he did not like crooked politicians, especially if they were Irish. He felt they reflected badly on the Irish community. He lumped Al Smith in the same category of politicians.

The next year, the stock market crashed. Some Irish Americans thought if Smith had won the election, he would be blamed for the crash and The Great Depression that followed. They felt his fault would be theirs. They thought their first president would be their last.

By 1932, the economic outlook was bleak. Joseph Sr. thought the country now needed a Democrat to keep it from failing. He felt the new governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt, would be the one to make the needed changes. It was not just about the economy, he also thought Roosevelt would present a responsive face to shut out Americans, mostly Catholics. He was described as a door opener.

Francie Mae. August 4, 2022.

References

Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Former Unites States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Website. Wikipedia. Accessed August 4, 2022.

Matthews, Chris. 2017. Bobby Kennedy-A Raging Spirt. New York, New York. Simon & Schuster.