
- Cover of John F. Kennedy
The Presidential campaign for former Alabama Governor and segregation champion George Wallace seemed to be off to an even better start in 1972 than his historic 1968 third party attempt. The one time firebrand appealed to reactionary voters who wanted to reinstate Jim Crow Laws. While Wallace still won the adoration of many for his previously staunch defense of segregation, this was a different version. Wallace turned his back on previous stances and attempted to make him more marketable to middle of the pack voters. The change seemed to be working, but not every voter liked this newer version of Wallace.
Political assassination marred the 1960s as John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were killed by gunman. Wallace who has been portrayed as an evil protector of racism feel victim to the ugliness of political violence. An assassination attempt ended his campaign and left him paralyzed. American politics continued to be marred by violence and a third party candidate for President fell.
The story of George Wallace is not widely discussed in the modern media. His earlier stance for segregation is replayed often, but his later martyrdom as the victim of political violence is often forgotten. Wallace is a tragic figure in American history for many reasons. Within his lifetime he renounced his earlier stance on segregation, a stance that millions of other white Americans held, and his decision to go against his earlier statements were enough to make Wallace face great criticism in the South.
Wallace was never a major political force after the assassination attempt. Concerns for his health plagued his political pursuits. Where the press had protected Franklin Roosevelt a generation earlier, the discussion surrounding Wallace proved that American voters were not ready to accept a paralyzed President. The American Independent Party died with Wallace’s political career.
Wallace later apologized to black leaders for his stance on segregation, but few things could trump the footage of his “segregation forever” speech.
















