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Douglas was active in [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] politics at a time when his party dominated most of his native state. He headed the New Roads NAACP from 1965 to 1981 and served on the national board of the organization from 1967 to 1981. [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]] appointed Douglas to the Prison System Study Commission. He served in 1975 on the Commission on Judicial Compensation for City, Parish, and Municipal Courts. He was a member of the St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Roads, where he resided from 1949 until his death. He had lived in New Orleans from 1942 to 1946 and in Baton Rouge from 1946 to 1949. He was a district manager for Standard Life Insurance Company and Supreme Life Insurance Company and the proprietor of Douglas Barber and Beauty Supply Company and Douglas Fine Foods Grocery, both in Baton Rouge.<ref name=lahist/>

Douglas was active in [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] politics at a time when his party dominated most of his native state. He headed the New Roads NAACP from 1965 to 1981 and served on the national board of the organization from 1967 to 1981. [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]] appointed Douglas to the Prison System Study Commission. He served in 1975 on the Commission on Judicial Compensation for City, Parish, and Municipal Courts. He was a member of the St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Roads, where he resided from 1949 until his death. He had lived in New Orleans from 1942 to 1946 and in Baton Rouge from 1946 to 1949. He was a district manager for Standard Life Insurance Company and Supreme Life Insurance Company and the proprietor of Douglas Barber and Beauty Supply Company and Douglas Fine Foods Grocery, both in Baton Rouge.<ref name=lahist/>

In 1969, Baton Rouge Mayor-President [[Woodrow Wilson Dumas]] imposed a curfew during a disturbance that seemed likely to spread throughout his city. Then Governor [[John J. McKeithen]] deployed 250 Louisiana National Guard troops to maintain order. The unrest resulted when a white Baton Rouge patrolman, Ray Breaux, shot to death in the back a 17-year-old fleeing African-American suspect. Dumas called on Douglas to speak via [[radio]] to urge calm. Douglas called for more black police officers and integrated patrol cars. Dumas promised Douglas that Breaux would be suspended pending an investigation. After a grand jury exonerated Breaux, Douglas accused Dumas of betrayal. Dumas cited civil service rules which protected the officer. Thereafter, Dumas adopted a hard line toward protesters, having told officers that "We will back you 100 percent. Police officers will no longer take abuse and vilification from anyone."<ref name=google>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QnQbw5EyPREC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=W.W.+Dumas&source=bl&ots=feCuRbzRvr&sig=FYALNNVVV694_HVoWNGWLJm69tI&hl=en&ei=OAkQS-ezKoWWtgebyo3rCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=W.W.%20Dumas&f=false|author=Adam Fairclough|title=Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=November 27, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8203-3114-0}}</ref>  

In 1969, Baton Rouge Mayor-President [[Woodrow Wilson Dumas]] imposed a curfew during a disturbance that seemed likely to spread throughout his city. Then Governor [[John J. McKeithen]] deployed 250 Louisiana National Guard troops to maintain order. The unrest resulted when a white Baton Rouge patrolman, Ray Breaux, shot to death in the back a 17-year-old fleeing African-American suspect. Dumas called on Douglas to speak via [[radio]] to urge calm. Douglas called for more black police officers and integrated patrol cars. Dumas promised Douglas that Breaux would be suspended pending an investigation. After a grand jury exonerated Breaux, Douglas accused Dumas of betrayal. Dumas cited civil service rules which protected the officer. Thereafter, Dumas adopted a hard line toward protesters, having told officers that "We will back you 100 percent. Police officers will no longer take abuse and vilification from anyone."<ref name=google>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QnQbw5EyPREC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=W.W.+Dumas&source=bl&ots=feCuRbzRvr&sig=FYALNNVVV694_HVoWNGWLJm69tI&hl=en&ei=OAkQS-ezKoWWtgebyo3rCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=W.W.%20Dumas&f=false|author=Adam Fairclough|title=Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=November 11, 2019|isbn=978-0-8203-3114-0}}</ref>  

Meanwhile, Douglas was [[indictment|indicted]] for incitement to riot under a new Louisiana law patterned after the national Civil Rights Act of 1968.<ref name=google/>

Meanwhile, Douglas was [[indictment|indicted]] for incitement to riot under a new Louisiana law patterned after the national Civil Rights Act of 1968.<ref name=google/>