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In 1981, the Commonwealth of Virginia, which had been dominated for decades by "the Organization," a political machine led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry Byrd Sr., took its first baby steps to becoming the vibrant state it is today. That year, Charles Robb rejected the machine and began a new Democratic Party in his campaign for governor. Instead of running against African Americans, Robb reached out to Douglas Wilder, the state's only African American State Senator and other leaders in the African American Community to rally voters of color to support the Democratic ticket. With the help of a heavy African American turnout, Robb won and the Byrd machine was crushed.
In 1985, just four years later, Doug Wilder won the party's nomination for Lieutenant Governor against the cries of "Virginia isn't ready" and, later that year, defied the naysayers by being elected to that office. Within five years, he would be sworn in as the first elected African American governor in American history.
SON OF VIRGINIA by L. Douglas Wilder details the events of the author's life to paint a portrait of the changing face of America. It will be a story of constant struggle and conflict, not only Wilder's struggle, but also that of courageous people who stood up to decades of discrimination, corruption and greed. The book will stand as a road map for continued American progress in our elections and laws and a stark warning of what may happen if we relax our commitment to this program.
List of contents
Contents
Chapter 1: Carry Me Back
Chapter 2: Sergeant Wilder
Chapter 3: The Home Trenches
Chapter 4: Political Muscle
Chapter 5: Re-digging the Well
Chapter 6: Virginia is Ready
Chapter 7: In the Saddle
Chapter 8: The Race Goes On
Chapter 9: Reclaiming the Devil's Half Acre
Chapter 10: Ringing the Bell
Appendix A: Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the author
Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) served as the first African American to be elected as governor of Virginia. Wilder served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. When earlier elected as Lieutenant Governor, he was the first African American elected to statewide office in Virginia. His most recent political office was Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, which he held from 2005 to 2009.
Summary
The autobiography of Lawrence Douglas Wilder, a grandson of slaves, who was sworn in as Governor of Virginia in a January 1990 ceremony that changed the political face of the United States. In Virginia, long ago the centerpiece of the Confederacy, Wilder became the first African American to assume a governorship by virtue of winning a popular vote.
