The Day Bold Shirley Visited Defiant George
George was born in Alabama in 1919, in an environment where he absorbed the prevailing racial attitude that African Americans were clearly inferior to whites like himself.
In his working-class family, George was proud of his southern identity but felt that many forces were stacked against him. One of which was the federal government. He believed it was constantly intervening in matters that were the responsibility of the state, such as civil rights legislation.
To effect change, he became a lawyer. When dissatisfied with the limitations of his legal career he entered political life. First as a circuit judge, which did not provide enough power to influence government policy. In 1958, George ran for governor and lost. From this loss, he concluded that he needed to become more defiant so embarked on being the candidate who
would be the spokesperson that embodied the beliefs of his white southerners.
He ran again in 1962, defend segregation and he won. In his 1963 inaugural address Alabama Governor George Wallace declared “Segregation now, Segregation tomorrow, Segregation forever.” Shirley was born in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn, her father from Guyana and mother from Barbados. In this multi-ethnic community she earned a degree in
sociology and a master’s in education.
Shirley worked as a nursery schoolteacher in the New York school system. She became involved in community activity and was particularly interested in social and gender justice. Her experiences in education and working with children in underprivileged communities shaped her commitment to improving social conditions for the marginalized. She also stood out for her vocal opposition to the Vietnam War, her support for health care reform, labor rights, and affordable housing.
She became a founding member of the National Black Caucus and championed issues of civil rights, women’s rights, economic justice, health care, and social action. She was known for her quick wit, speaking truth to power and making bold statements and actions. Shirley was the first black woman elected to the US Congress. In 1972, Shirley made another bold move by running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. As the first Black woman to seek a major party’s presidential nomination, her campaign faced significant barriers, including racial and gender prejudice. Nonetheless, she garnered
attention for her trailblazing candidacy and her platform of social justice, equality, and anti-war activism. Her slogan was “Unbought and Unbossed.”
George Wallace also ran for president in 1972 and during the debate George attempted to belittle Shirley on racial issues. Shirley is known to have stated “I believe in the American dream, but I do not believe that anyone has a right to block someone else’s dream.”
George’s participation as a candidate for president was interrupted when he was shot with five bullets. When Shirley received this news, she immediately decided to visit him. There was great opposition from those who supported her, but on May 17, Shirley Chisolm sat alone by the bed of George Wallace at Prince George Hospital Center in Cheverly Maryland. She listened to him, acknowledged and responded to his humanity, and before leaving told him “I’m praying for you. I hope you have a full recovery.”
That unexpected visit two days after he was shot, impacted George profoundly. In time, George increasingly saw the world from a different perspective, now paralyzed from the waist down. As time passed, George’s personal reflections caused him to change. Continuing to run for governor in 1974, George Wallace publicly apologized for his past support of segregation. He acknowledged that his views had evolved and that he regretted his role in fostering racial division. George Wallace stated that he no longer believed in segregation as he once did. By the late 1970s George Wallace expressed support for civil rights legislation and desegregation.
-Markly Wilson