Lyndon Baines Johnson: A Great Health Equity President

Lyndon B. Johnson was an enigmatic character. Raised in rural Texas surrounded by poverty and racial segregation, Johnson spent his early political career aligned with the Southern bloc supporting anti-civil rights policy. However, after becoming president following President Kennedy’s assassination, he changed course. Within his first week in office, Johnson shocked the nation by declaring his support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He then used that momentum to usher Medicare and Medicaid through Congress the following year; a task that previous presidential administrations had struggled to complete. These and other actions have made Johnson one of the most impactful health equity presidents in United States history. But his early bigoted ways cannot be ignored. It is impossible to know Johnson’s true motivations, but perhaps his change in policy support can provide us with hope that with open conversation and scientific data, leaders and communities may change their opinions.