George Wallace Opposes Integration - HISTORY

Newsreel footage of former Alabama Governor George Wallace standing against desegregation while being confronted by federal authorities at the University of Alabama in 1963.

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Gov. George Wallace holds a press conference to argue against integration of the state's public schools. Almost 10 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to desegregate schools, Alabama had still not complied. On June 11, 1963, Wallace made national news when he stood in the doorway at the University of Alabama to block African-American students from entering.

Who is George Wallace and why is he important? Steve Gillon shows the importance and significance of George Wallace in American history. Through his racist views, George Wallace redefined the American Political System. In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace tried to prevent the integration of the University of Alabama. Then in 1968, Wallace ran as an Independent candidate for the United States Presidency. Wallace represented a party of backlash, mainly appealing to the frustration of white, middle class workers. While people assumed Wallace would appeal to the South where racist views were more prevalent, he appealed surprisingly to northern Democrats. Lastly, Wallace created a new language of politics, allowing Republicans to make his message in a respectful way to win over southern, white voters. Without George Wallace, there may never have been a Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan.

Newsreel footage of President Kennedy's address to the American people after the University of Mississippi riots in 1962.

Led by civil rights pioneer Daisy Bates, these nine brave Arkansas teenagers broke through racial barriers to become the first black students to attend Little Rock High School.

On September 2, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent a group of African-American students, who later became known as the Little Rock Nine, from entering the all-white Central High School. In a broadcast that evening, Faubus defends his decision to call in the state's National Guard.

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