The controversy over Georgia’s new election law, promoted memories of election practices in our area and laws we changed in Louisiana to respond to them.
The Georgia legislature passed a law that provides more access to the voting process by qualified voters but makes it harder to cheat or otherwise influence voters in the electoral process. That has a lot of folks in Georgia angry.
Before our modern election laws, there were many practices that were commonplace in our community but were stopped by changes in the law.
In the 60s and 70s, the local black community generally voted as a bloc for white candidates sensitive to our cause. One of the most influential white candidates in the Parish was Rep. Shady Robert Wall, a flamboyant, colorful politician known for his charity, Rolls Royce cars, and ability to control the Black vote.
Shady gave anniversary gifts to black preachers of $1,000 or more, bankrolled political leaders, financed black business startups, offered scholarships to minorities, and was a constant presence in Black churches.
When Shady became President of First National Bank, it had an influx of black customers, and the bank made loans to black business startups often endorsed by Wall himself (against banking rules).
Wall had influence and power in Baton Rouge. He reveled in the fact that he could deliver the Northeast Louisiana black vote in any election. In speeches at Black churches Wall often said, “The colored people don’t have anybody to speak for you in the State Legislature, all you have is Shady,” as he promoted himself as the poor people’s voice. He then went home riding in his Rolls Royce.
On Election Day, Shady paid for workers to stand at black polling places and pass out boxes of chicken to voters. Inside the chicken box was a slip of paper with Wall’s candidate ballot number. He had others to stand at the door of precincts and shake hands with voters as they entered the precincts and pass them a ballot.
Wall financed payments to drivers to bring voters to the polls and absentee ballots of seniors were collected filled out and cast on their behalf.
When Shady died in 1985, he was praised by the entire state legislature and the black community as well.
However, after the Wall era, Louisiana changed its laws.
—Voter IDs were required because it was not unusual for Wall to pay people to cast votes in the name of the dead.
—Campaigning was restricted to 600 feet from polls, and campaign signs, T-shirts, and chicken tickets had to be 600 feet away.
—Drivers and the use of church vans on Election Day were restricted.
—Payments made to groups and individuals were regulated and reported.
—Early voting allowed 14 days before an election.
In the 36 years after the death of Shady Wall and the demise of Huey Long campaign tactics, we still have campaign corruption in our area, but it’s harder to hide.
It appears Georgia is trying to follow Louisiana. Georgia’s new law:
—Requires voter IDs to vote in person or by mail in ballots (Those with no Id can use the last four of the Social Security number).
—Restricts campaigning to at least 150 feet from polls, limiting water bottle and food distribution campaigning.
—Limits mail-in ballots to those who request them and ID makes it more difficult for organizations to vote on behalf of others.
—Provides for 17 days of early voting.
In many ways, Georgia’s new law provides more access to voting than the law in Louisiana, but yet President Biden refers to Georgia’s new law as restrictive, reflective of the “Jim Crow” era.
The Jim Crow era was a time when Blacks had to recite the preamble to the constitution and explain it just to register to vote.
The Jim Crow laws often required poll taxes and education requirements.
During the Jim Crow era, blacks were fired from jobs, beaten, and even hanged, if they registered to vote or even showed up to vote on Election Day.
The Georgia Law does make it harder to manipulate the Black vote, and that’s what this whole issue is about.
It is fair to say that the controversy is over political party control of black votes, but it’s a stretch to call it racism.
Shady Wall and others like him didn’t want to stop blacks from voting, they wanted to manipulate and control our vote.
Shady Wall helped hundreds of “colored people” as a legislator during his time.
However, today Shady and Jim Crow are dead.
As a people, we read, think and make up our own minds. It will take more than a box of chicken or a bottle of water to persuade us.
The era of manipulating the black vote is coming to an end, and that seems to upset some folks, even the President of the United States.
