Throughout American history, African-Americans have constantly struggled with the issues of racism and discrimination. Since slavery hundreds of years ago, African Americans have always been treated as inferior by white men. Even today, racism continues to be a big problem in American society. Selma, a film directed by Ava DuVernay, retells the events surrounding the march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama. Led by Martin Luther King Jr., African-Americans along with civil rights activists of various race march to protest African Americans being denied their right to vote. In Selma, Ava DuVernay shows that during the events leading up to the march to Montgomery, the white characters’ hunger for power caused an uphill battle for African-Americans
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In the film, President Johnson is a round character. Throughout the film, President Johnson repeatedly refused to help Martin end the illegal denial of African-American voting rights. However, by the end of the film, President Johnson decided to help the African-Americans get their voting rights. In his meeting with Governor Wallace, President Johnson asks him if he wants people to remember him saying “Wait” or “I can’t”. These phrases are repeated exactly from the phone call that President Johnson had with Martin earlier in the film. The repetition and use of those phrases show that President Johnson changed from being stubborn about voting rights to wanting to help. After President Johnson announced that he would be submitting a bill to prevent the denial of voting rights, Martin and the other protesters attempted a third march across the bridge. The bridge appears for a third time in the film, establishing repetition. The repetition implies that the bridge is the hurdle that the African-American protesters needed to overcome in the film. For the entire film, the protesters kept getting turned back at the bridge for various reasons. However, after they get the support of President Johnson, the protesters finally march over the bridge. This conveys the message that the support of President Johnson enabled them to get over the hump and finally march to Montgomery. Therefore, President Johnson had significant control over the success of Martin Luther King Jr. and the rest of the protesters, and his support enabled them to win their fight for voting
In the film, President Johnson is a round character. Throughout the film, President Johnson repeatedly refused to help Martin end the illegal denial of African-American voting rights. However, by the end of the film, President Johnson decided to help the African-Americans get their voting rights. In his meeting with Governor Wallace, President Johnson asks him if he wants people to remember him saying “Wait” or “I can’t”. These phrases are repeated exactly from the phone call that President Johnson had with Martin earlier in the film. The repetition and use of those phrases show that President Johnson changed from being stubborn about voting rights to wanting to help. After President Johnson announced that he would be submitting a bill to prevent the denial of voting rights, Martin and the other protesters attempted a third march across the bridge. The bridge appears for a third time in the film, establishing repetition. The repetition implies that the bridge is the hurdle that the African-American protesters needed to overcome in the film. For the entire film, the protesters kept getting turned back at the bridge for various reasons. However, after they get the support of President Johnson, the protesters finally march over the bridge. This conveys the message that the support of President Johnson enabled them to get over the hump and finally march to Montgomery. Therefore, President Johnson had significant control over the success of Martin Luther King Jr. and the rest of the protesters, and his support enabled them to win their fight for voting