June 11, 1963 George Wallace "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door"

DHS US History II

Civil Rights movements were being sparked all over the place in the 1960s due to gross injustices against the African American population. Brave people from black communities were sick of the treatment and started to protest and speak out. Their courage gave effective attention to the cause. Ironically though some of the most impactful moments were created by those seeking to prevent equal rights. A man by the name of George Wallace was among a group that would do anything to keep the United States segregated even as lawfully it moved towards becoming more desegregated. His position as the governor of Alabama helped the issue reach high government level. He sought to take down a race, that his protest only helped raise awareness for. George Wallace was elected governor of Alabama in 1963. A scary reality for African Americans seeing as he led his campaign off the message of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." He was an extreme segregationist who had the power to make his opinions realities with his political office. His inaugural address highlighted his fight for white supremacy. He fought to keep Alabama a separated state, that had no future of changing. In the beginning of his address he thanked the small town that allowed for him to take his first political foot holdings. He than turned to preach that he shall “do my duty to you, God helping . . . to every man, to every woman . . . yes, to every child in this state. I shall fulfill my duty toward honesty and economy in our State government so that no man shall have a part of his livelihood cheated and no child shall have a bit of his future stolen away. “ Ironically he preached this as he pursued to take away the futures of all black children. He was cheating away the lives of all the people he sought to segregate. But he believed that he was only doing right by these people by continually demoralizing them. And demoralize, he did, so much in fact that one day he decided to block two black students from enrolling at Alabama University. The act he performed is often referred to as the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” because that is exactly what he did. He physically stood in front of the doorway to the admissions office at the pubic university, blocking Vivian Malone and James A. Hoods entrance. His act caught the attention of the President who sent the attorney general to halt his humiliating protest. Wallace was not an easy target. He quickly spit back to the general’s orders, sent by and signed by the President of the United States, citing his “obstruction of justice.” He tried to counter “the enforcement of a court order” that he was aware of. He was asked to “not bar entrance to these students.” It probably frightened him that when the general spoke of “students” he didn’t attach the word black in front. Wallace was a small minded man, with a racist southern outlook that was not uncommon for his time. Wallace demanded that they were trying to “Subordinate the rights of Alabama and millions of Americans,” also adding that “there has been no legislative action by congress justifying this intrusion.” What he referenced as an intrusion, was actually a lawful attempt to stop his childlike protest. He stood alone, all other protests were followed by millions. He stood with words while others stood with meaning.