Clemon believes George Wallace is still a racist
The possibility of George Wallace joining the 1976 Democratic presidential slate sickens Clemon, who thinks that Wallace has an awful record on race issues.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with U. W. Clemon, July 17, 1974. Interview A-0006. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- JACK BASS:
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How do you react to the possibility of George Wallace being on the national Democratic ticket in 1976?
- U. W. CLEMON:
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The idea makes me sick. I don't think that George Wallace has changed and I would hate to see him as vice president. I have monitored, with some reasonable degree of steadfastness, the progress of the state in providing meaningful employment opportunities for blacks in state agencies. And that progress has been nil except to the extent that federal courts have issued orders directed specifically to department heads telling them to hire blacks on a certain quota basis. But even when that has happened the results have been far less than expected. So as I see it, George Wallace has had the power and indeed the duty of considering blacks for appointment to various positions. Of appointing various agency heads who would be responsive in that respect. I think he's totally failed to do so and I think that he has otherwise encouraged disrespect for the law, particularly when it comes to school desegregation. And considering all these things, along with his record in the whole area, I just don't see any change in the man.
- JACK BASS:
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What would he have to do that would indicate to you that he has changed?
- U. W. CLEMON:
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He'd have to appoint some blacks to responsible positions in state government.
