How did the Civil Rights Movement develop in the Kennedy years?

During the time that John F. Kennedy was in office, the
Civil Rights Movement grew in strength.  It did so mainly on its own and not really
because of anything that Kennedy or his administration
did.

During most of his presidency, Kennedy needed
political support from Southern Democrats.  For this reason, he was reluctant to come
out strongly in support of civil rights.  With Kennedy relatively quiet on the issue,
activists were the ones who had to drive the movement forward.  It was during these
years that the nation saw the Freedom Riders and the marches for voting rights in the
South.  It was during Kennedy's time that Martin Luther King led the March on
Washington.  In other words, the Civil Rights Movement grew a great deal during that
time.

The Civil Rights Movement became much more powerful
during Kennedy's time in office but most of that growth was fueled by the activists
themselves, not by Kennedy's policies.