George C. Wallace was born in Clio, Alabama, on August 25, 1919. After law school and military service, he embarked on a career as a judge and local politician. He served four terms as Alabama governor, from the 1960s through the 1980s, and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. presidency three times
Was at first known as the segregationalist governor of Alabama. Lying about having the right to exclude black students from the Alabama public schools did just that to every school in the state.
In George Wallace's inagural address given over 50 years ago one single phrase "segregation nown segregation tomorrow and segreagation forever" This was during the federal government's attempt to equal access schools in the south.
James L. Poe Jr., a former student activist and then-president of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, says blacks were not invited to attend the event.
Many years later he (as well as many others in the south around that time) fell victim to violence during a campaign for president in Maryland as he was shot 5 times causing damage to his spinal cord and left him paralyzed.
In the late 70s he realized his wrongdoing, became a born again christian and seeked forgiveness and even reconciled with all African Americans
From the late 1970s onward, Wallace attempted to revise his public image by modifying his previous position on race issues. He claimed that many of his statements had been misunderstood, and he emphasized his populist leanings. In some cases, he issued public apologies for his earlier actions. By the time of his fourth term as Alabama governor, he'd begun receiving a substantial amount of support from black political organizations and black voters. His efforts to improve the state's economy, health care, employment and infrastructure were considered highly successful.
Because of health problems, Wallace retired at the end of his final term in 1987 and died from heart failure on September 13, 1998 in Montgomery, Alabama
Works Cited
"George C. Wallace." Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com Editors. A&E Networks Television, 04 May 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
"George Corley Wallace." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. N. pag. Biography in Context. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
Https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-C-Wallace
O'Brien, Steven. "George Wallace." The African American Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
O'Brien, Steven. "George Wallace." N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
"Segregation Forever A Fiery Pledge Forgiven but Not Forgotten." N.p., 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.