Don't Forget About the Other Jesse Helms

Right-wing senator hired blacks and battled AIDS with Bono

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 5, 2008 1:17 PM CDT

(Newser) – Many remember Jesse Helms as an unflinching bigot who fought civil rights and foreign aid, but the former North Carolina senator also softened some views and befriended Bono, John Hunt writes in the Wall Street Journal. “Contrary to his reputation, Helms did change his mind,” Hunt notes: He reversed his position on aid to Israel and partnered with Bono to combat AIDS and poverty in Africa.

A former TV pundit, Helms staked out tough, controversial stances against Communism and UN corruption. He also clung to prejudices against blacks and gays. Yet he employed blacks and unwittingly taught liberals how to exploit technology. His complex career shows that minority voices can “change the political odds in your favor,” Hunt writes, "with persistence and unflinching determination."

[Images (3)]

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Ronald Reagan credited former Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C. for saving his political career. (AP Photo)

Sen. Jesse Helms won five terms, with a reputation as the Senate's most principled warrior on behalf of social conservatism, anti-Communism and limits on union power John Fund writes. (AP Photo)

Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., never understood why he was viewed by many as a bigot, having run one of the most integrated TV stations in the South and often hiring blacks on his staff. (AP Photo)

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A Look Back At Jesse Helms: "Face The Nation" host Bob Schieffer examines the life and impact of the influential former North Carolina Republican Senator Jesse Helms (CBS)

Jesse Helms "White Hands" ad: Jesse Helms' infamous 30-second commercial showing a pair of white hands crumpling a job rejection letter as a narrator says: "You needed that job, and you were the best qualified, but they had to give it to a minority." (SnakesOnABlog)

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Don't Forget About the Other Jesse Helms