The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory

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Sharron Wilkins Conrad

The Trinity

Name: The Trinity
Price: 64.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781469694443

John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory

Sharron Wilkins Conrad

$64.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

The University of North Carolina Press
26 May 2026

History; History of the Americas; Ethnic studies; Black & Asian studies; Human rights; Civil rights & citizenship

Series: The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture

A striking triptych once displayed in countless African American households, the Trinity typically features Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. More than decoration, these portraits were deliberate acts of memory and quiet resistance, a medium through which African Americans asserted their own narratives of hope, leadership, and the fight for justice.

In this provocative history, Sharron Wilkins Conrad traces the Trinity across several decades, showing how African Americans didn’t merely remember the civil rights movement; they shaped its meaning. The Trinity reveals why Kennedy’s image hung beside King and Christ, while Lyndon B. Johnson, despite signing landmark legislation such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, remained largely unheralded. Kennedy’s charisma, symbolic promise, and perceived martyrdom placed him among sacred icons, while Johnson—seen as transactional and confronted by the era’s growing impatience—never secured the same emotional legacy. In a gripping exploration of memory and meaning-making, Wilkins Conrad reveals how communities create historical truths by elevating some leaders, sidelining others, and preserving their own visions in defiance of the official record.

By: Sharron Wilkins Conrad
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 25mm, Spine: 155mm
ISBN: 9781469694443
ISBN 10: 1469694441
Series: The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 26 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Sharron Wilkins Conrad is professor of history at Tarrant County College and senior fellow at Southern Methodist University's Center for Presidential History.

Reviews for The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory

""A groundbreaking examination of Kennedy and Johnson through the eyes of African Americans, weaving grassroots voices, movement history, and media analysis into a vivid, multilayered narrative. Conrad's archival brilliance and fresh theoretical insights open new avenues for understanding the politics, culture, and civil rights struggles of the 1960s.""--Charles W. McKinney Jr., author of Greater Freedom: The Evolution of the Civil Rights Struggle in Wilson, North Carolina ""A superb, original, and urgently needed history that reshapes our understanding of the civil rights era and presidential leadership. Drawing on largely untapped sources and elevating voices too often unheard, Wilkins Conrad offers a nuanced, deeply engaging account that will captivate both scholars and general readers.""--Ellen Fitzpatrick, author of The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women's Quest for the American Presidency