Wallace was always a civil rights activist, and did more for the Negroes in Alabama then any other governor. Period. He despised injustice against anyone, but felt that separation of the races was the only way to ensure tranquility and prosperity for both Caucasian and Negro. Negro attorneys who litigated in his courtrooms prior to his seeking the office of governor claim that to this day they never stood before a judge equal to Wallace in integrity and fairness. He provided free school textbooks to all children, was a great friend to the Jewish people living in Alabama, and built hospitals, schools, and highways. It's admittedly difficult to judge the recent past accurately, but in retrospect Wallace looks far more patriotic than most in Washington who thought him nothing but 'some redneck bigot'.Interesting post.... I figured Wallace for a separate but equal mentality and now that I think back about it to some degree what you say sounds very true... The liberal media did everything in its power back then to vilify Wallace and make him look racist. When he was shot most people believed it was due to his positions on civil rights which was just not the case. The fact that Wallace was a democrat is not so hard for a person my age to believe. The party back then had a much different platform then it does today. I have a few books on Wallace here somewhere one is called At The Schoolhouse Door the others I don't recall. Your post has made me want to find them and see if they are just more of the same or show Wallace in a truer light.
And friends, George Wallace was a DEMOCRAT. :o
p.s. - of great interest, and worthy of some research, was Wallace's Media Agent, who in addition to serving as laisson between Wallace and the KKK, was the author of The Outlaw Josey Wales ! Wallace despised the KKK and would not allow them in his presence, yet knew that their power in Alabama was so widespread that without their backing he could not attain the governorship.