Existing comment:
Boots made by Lucchese Bootmaker and given to Gov. Douglas Wilder when he delivered a commencement address at New Mexico State University
1989: Virginia Elects First African American Governor
In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African American to be elected governor of any state in the nation. Wilder already had served Virginia in the senate and as lieutenant governor, working diligently as a liberal in a conservative legislature and promoting anti-crime legislation and a balanced budget. Following an ambitious "back roads" campaign across the state, Wilder was elected by a margin of only 7,000 votes. |