Today, politicians on both sides of the aisle like to compete for the “populist” label. They would do well to consider the example of a real populist — Henry A. Wallace.
Throughout his career, Wallace championed bold, progressive policies that put the “common man” first, even when it earned him enemies. His legacy reminds us that true populism means confronting the forces that keep everyday folks down — hardship, inequality, and war.
As we contend with these issues today, Wallace offers a roadmap for the kind of bold leadership that’s long overdue.
Wallace first made his mark as FDR’s Secretary of Agriculture during the Great Depression. When the Dust Bowl turned once-productive fields into barren wastelands, Wallace oversaw New Deal programs that stabilized crop prices, protected the soil, and kept family farms afloat.
His belief was simple: the government has a responsibility to care for people and their land. Today, as climate change batters our land and inequality pushes working families to the brink, Wallace’s approach shows how the government can step in — not with a heavy hand, but a helping one.
In 1941, Wallace ascended to the vice presidency and used his office to denounce fascism abroad and at home.
Wallace warned of an “American fascism” — a merging of corporate power with the political establishment “most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth.” These forces, he argued, used prejudice to pit working Americans against each other. He also supported the early civil rights movement, believing America couldn’t claim to be a beacon of freedom while denying basic rights to Black Americans.
His warnings still ring true today as corporate interests shape policy to enrich the few, while reactionary forces stoke division and spread misinformation to distract us from the real problems facing this country. Wallace believed leadership meant uniting all working people and exposing the lies of those who undermine democracy, both at home and abroad.
By 1944, Wallace’s bold progressivism had made him a target within his own party. Democratic insiders viewed him as too radical for a post-war America and replaced him with the more moderate Harry Truman.
Wallace stayed on as Secretary of Commerce until 1946, when he resigned in protest over the Truman Doctrine, a policy that committed the U.S. to “containing communism” through military intervention. Wallace believed that this approach would lead to unnecessary conflict, advocating instead for diplomacy and cooperation.
For this, he was pushed out of mainstream politics. But time proved Wallace right. The Truman Doctrine set the stage for decades of wars — from Korea to Vietnam and beyond — that cost countless lives, drained resources, and destabilized entire regions.
As we continue to face the consequences of unchecked militarism, Wallace’s story serves as a reminder that resisting the urge to solve every problem with force isn’t weakness, but wisdom.
Undeterred by political exile, Wallace ran for president in 1948 on the Progressive Party ticket. His platform was a moral blueprint for America’s future: an end to segregation, fair employment laws, national health insurance, equal pay regardless of sex, disability and sickness benefits, an end to the international arms race, and more.
While Wallace lost that race, many of the ideas he promoted were adopted in the decades that followed. His campaign shows that progress comes from those willing to push for change, even when it’s unpopular. A lifelong farmer, Wallace knew the seeds of change must be sown today so that future generations can reap the harvest.
Crisis demands courage, and Henry A. Wallace had plenty of it. He didn’t play it safe — he took on fascism, racism, and imperialism, even when it cost him politically. Wallace may have been sidelined in his time, but his example shows that what seems radical today can become inevitable tomorrow.
The question now is whether our leaders will act with the courage Wallace showed, or sit back and wait for history to catch up.
A.J. Schumann is a Henry A. Wallace Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. The fellowship, supported by the Wallace Global Fund, trains young advocates for economic, racial, and social justice as a living memorial to Wallace’s legacy. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
From The Progressive Populist, November 15, 2024
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