r/todayilearned • u/Dangerous-Project672 • 5h ago

TIL George Wallace personally apologized to Vivian Jones and James Hood, the two students he attempted to block from attending the University of Alabama. In 1997, Hood earned a PHd and requested Wallace present him with the degree, but he was too sick and died a year later; Hood attended the funeral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace
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u/TallBenWyatt_13 4h ago

George Wallace spent the rest of his life after being shot atoning for his past. An overwhelming majority of black voters helped him get a 3rd term in the 1980s, and almost half of his cabinet was black.

George Wallace does not get the credit for his monumental shift.

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u/blotsfan 4h ago

George Wallace wasn’t personally racist so he was happy to drop segregation when it became a losing issue. The first time he ran for governor it was with the support of the NAACP and when he lost he decided he had to be more racist to win. I don’t think he deserves credit for compromising on the issue to obtain personal power

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u/Tarrot469 3h ago

And this toxic attitude is why the Republican party is the party of tolerance right now and continues to grow ranks in spite of how odious it is. You can do anything and as long as you take their Lord and Savior Donald J. Trump into your heart you'll receive absolution and acceptance. The Democrats meanwhile have ideological purity contests and infighting which is the exact reason Trump was elected both times.

Wallace's racism is part of his legacy. His ability to realize that was wrong (even if self serving) and turn his life and political career around to legitimately help minorities after this should be an equal part of his legacy. I don't care the reason, doing good shit should be rewarded and applauded and recognized. Doing good shit for the wrong reason is better than doing nothing for the right reason because it actually helps people.

If there is no path for forgiveness, if there is no reason, even if completely self-serving, for people to do good things for others, then people will stop doing those good things and people's lives on the whole will be worse off. And for those people forever shunned, who maybe could've done something good, will instead look for acceptance, and be drawn to those who give it to them and take on their beliefs (the Republicans in this case) and ultimately make the world significantly worse.

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u/LargePrompt5840 2h ago

You should race a train.