Nevertheless , the struggle was far from over . Three weeks later , a bomb exploded on Sunday , September 15 , at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham ; by the end of the day , four African American children had died in the explosion , and two other children were shot to death in the aftermath . Due to this resurgent violence , the civil rights legislation underwent some drastic amendments that critically endangered any prospects for passage of the bill , to the outrage of the president . Kennedy called the congressional leaders to the White House and by the following day the original bill , without the additions , had enough votes to get it out of the House committee . Gaining Republican support , Senator Everett Dirksen promised the legislation would be brought to a vote preventing a Senate filibuster . The legislation was enacted by Kennedy 's successor President Lyndon B. Johnson , prompted by Kennedy 's memory , after his assassination in November , enforcing voting rights , public accommodations , employment , education , and the administration of justice
a bomb exploded
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
John F. Kennedy