My mom stopped George Wallace. Right in his tracks. 17 years old and using nothing but her hands, she stopped the man who ran four times for the Presidency of the United States in an attempt to keep the south segregated.

My mother was raised by her Grandmother, an extended family and the Catholic Church in the small town of Savannah, Georgia. She was alive at an amazing time. Almost 100 years after the American Civil War and Reconstruction failed to end the oppression of black people in the southern U.S., blacks had found their voice in the growing movement for civil rights.

In the southern states, segregation was trying to hold on. It was enforced through the legal thuggery of local police and illegal thuggery and murder perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan. One of the most unabashedly racist politicians in the south was Alabama`s Governor, George Wallace.

When Wallace began his political career in the 1940`s, he was seen as a "liberal" and he even campaigned for the Governorship of Alabama with the support of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, (the NAACP), America`s oldest black organization. Wallace was defeated by an opponent that he felt was more racist than him. After that, he declared that in the future he would be the "loudest and most impassioned voice" calling for racial segregation. He kept his promise and, after a nasty campaign in 1962, Wallace was elected the Governor of Alabama.

Once elected, Wallace`s support for segregation grew. In June 1963, he personally stood in the path of two black students, along with armed state troopers, to prevent them from registering for classes at the University of Alabama. It took direct intervention by President Kennedy and the Alabama National Guard to allow the students to attend classes.

In September of 1963, Wallace ordered state police to go to the major cities in Alabama (Huntsville, Mobile, Tuskegee and Birmingham) to prevent the newly integrated public schools from being opened. After one person was killed, the federal government intervened again.

In March, 1965, Alabama State Troopers, using dogs, whips and tear gas, attacked a march that was promoting voter registration. The violence in Alabama was televised throughout the U.S. and internationally. The public`s horrified reaction, is reputed to have helped President Lyndon Johnson get the 1965 Voting Rights Act, designed to ensure that all people had the right to vote, passed through the U.S. Houses of Congress.

In 1964, and in three subsequent elections, Wallace ran for the U.S. Presidency to promote his belief that whites and blacks should live separately.

But wait a second, this is a story about my mom.

It was in this turbulent time that my mother had graduated, and was looking for work. She had been active in the Civil Rights movement and she wanted to help others who were in need. She eventually joined a program called Vista.

Vista was established in 1964 as a domestic version of America`s Peace Corps. Vista`s goal was to eliminate "poverty in the midst of plenty" and to provide people with "the opportunity to live in decency and dignity." The program still exists today as Americorps, and in the 38 years since its inception, it has had more than 100,000 participants.

My mother, was assigned to work in Miami, Florida. Before starting work, her group of Vista volunteers were invited to the State House in Tallahassee to meet Florida`s Governor. The Vista organizers, concerned that the program was still new and reliant on various state agencies for support and funding, implored the volunteers not to do anything "disruptive." So off they went to Florida`s legislature, promising to be on their best behaviour.

Now, as luck would have it, there was another guest in Tallahassee at that time. Governor George Wallace was in Florida for a conference of state Governors. The Vista volunteers were in for a treat: not only would they be addressed by the Governor of Florida, but they would also hear from Governor George Wallace himself.

After a brief speech by the Governor of Florida, Wallace took the podium. My mother sat there, angry. Here was a man who had spent his politcal career trying to stop blacks and whites from eating together, studying together, even sitting together on buses. She had to do something to express her displeasure.

After polite applause, Wallace began his remarks.

"It is a pleasure for me to be here in the state of Florida..."

Then from the back of the Chamber came clapping. Everyone turned around to see what was going on. What they saw was a skinny, 17 year old, black woman applauding with vigor. The other Vista volunteers got to their feet and began clapping as well. Then others, until there was a standing ovation. Eventually, it died down and everyone retook their seats.

"Thank you for your enthusiasm. Now as I was saying..."

Once again Wallace was greeted by applause from the same little, black woman at the back of the room.

And so began an elaborate tango in the Florida State House. Both partners knew their parts: one would lead, trying to speak; the other would follow, starting to clap. But the leader would falter, and be overtaken by applause, which started individually, but was quickly joined by dozens, and then hundreds of hands.

This dance went on and on until finally, one dance partner realized that he didn`t want to lead any more, and he left the dance floor. Wallace walked away from the podium, his speech left unsaid.

George Wallace, Governor of the 24th largest state in the union, four time challenger for the Presidency of the United States of America, the man who tried to stop children from attending integrated schools: he met his match in a 17 year old girl. My mom.