Two-part documentary chronicles the political life, redemption of George Wallace

A two-part documentary chronicling the political life and redemption of the late Alabama Governor George Wallace produced by WSFA 12 in Montgomery is now available online after several broadcast television appearances.

“George Wallace – Politics, Segregation, and Redemption” presents rare archival footage alongside interviews with Alabama political and civil rights leaders who knew Wallace well — whether as a friend, a son, an aide, or someone who suffered from segregation.

The two-part format fittingly depicts the political life of Governor Wallace before he was shot and left paralyzed in 1972, and the intervening 26 years he spent in redemption, continuing to serve as the Governor of Alabama, and forgiving others.

Wallace’s former spokesman, David Azbell, a 30-year veteran of Alabama politics and its foremost historian, was interviewed by WSFA for the documentary. In one of the deepest indications of Wallace’s transformation, Azbell found a letter Wallace wrote to his shooter, Arthur Bremer while he was in prison.

In the letter, Wallace forgave Bremer, shared a message of God’s love, and asked him to accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior.

Also interviewed in the documentary was Joe Reed, a longtime Alabama political and civil rights figure, once, and now again at the center of the Alabama Democratic Party. Reed said Wallace’s change of heart was evident.

“I believe that Wallace, after he got shot, after he was hurt, after he was confined to a wheelchair for a quarter-century, yeah, I believe he thought God was punishing him for the words he spoke and the life he lived,” Reed said.

WSFA 12 anchor Valorie Lawson said the inspiration to produce a new documentary came from a book written by Governor Wallace’s son, George Wallace, Jr. about his dad. He also shared personal reflections in the documentary.

“There’s so much more to my father than the ‘segregation forever’ or standing in the schoolhouse door, which both matters, he later told me he regretted having done. It’s almost as though some of his critics want to focus only on that, and not the entire journey,” Wallace Jr. said.

“I think our all of our lives, should be judged upon the totality of our efforts — not just picking a place here and there.”

The two-part documentary, “George Wallace – Politics, Segregation, and Redemption” is available for streaming on WSFA’s website.

“George Wallace was born in a poor county of Barbour County, his family didn’t have a lot of money, he bootstrapped his way to the University of Alabama, to law school, served in World War II — and eventually became a four-term governor and a four-time presidential candidate,” David Azbell said.

“Despite being born into poverty, he let his ambition cause him to abandon some of the things that he knew were right, but he later saw the error of his ways and he apologized and did everything he could to correct the wrongs that he knew he committed.

“So, if George Wallace gives us a lesson today, it’s: Don’t be afraid to apologize when you know you have been wrong. Reach out to those you have wronged and work toward a better day,” Azbell said.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270