Though there are some trivial inaccuracies, it would be inapt to think that Hollywood doesn’t portray outright accurate history, in its depiction of the events that occurred throughout the black civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo) in its movie adaptation, ‘Selma.’ The devastating yet revolutionary marches from Selma to Montgomery, brought on many factors including death, violent attacks, freedom and eventually led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act which was signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 – five months after the final march to Montgomery. In this essay, events such as the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson, the ‘Bloody Sunday’ march, and the final march out of Montgomery, will be discussed and will
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On the 7th of March 1965, 600 people planned to march from Selma to Montgomery in favour of voting rights. This credible and brave group of people possessed optimism and held their heads high whilst they marched the streets of Selma. Onlookers watched in awe of this audacious act, up until they arrived upon the Edmund Pettus Bridge where they met an abundance of armed state troopers waiting for them on the other side. With the absence of Martin Luther King – who had come under scrutiny between the requests of the Congress and the demand of his people – the march led by John Lewis (Stephan James), was put to a halt. Leaving the peaceful protesters with hardly a word to say, the state troopers who either rode on horseback or by foot, wielded weapons ranging from billy-clubs to teargas. The withering troopers mercilessly made their way through the crowds of defenceless people and attacked them. The march which was broadcasted everywhere led the nation into a fit of outrage. Leaving over 50 people hospitalized, both in the movie and historically, King found himself so moved by this disgusting act that he began an onslaught of public statements, voicing his pleas for help. Therefore on the 7th of March, 1965, King stated an appeal, “calling on religious leaders from all over the nation to join us on
On the 7th of March 1965, 600 people planned to march from Selma to Montgomery in favour of voting rights. This credible and brave group of people possessed optimism and held their heads high whilst they marched the streets of Selma. Onlookers watched in awe of this audacious act, up until they arrived upon the Edmund Pettus Bridge where they met an abundance of armed state troopers waiting for them on the other side. With the absence of Martin Luther King – who had come under scrutiny between the requests of the Congress and the demand of his people – the march led by John Lewis (Stephan James), was put to a halt. Leaving the peaceful protesters with hardly a word to say, the state troopers who either rode on horseback or by foot, wielded weapons ranging from billy-clubs to teargas. The withering troopers mercilessly made their way through the crowds of defenceless people and attacked them. The march which was broadcasted everywhere led the nation into a fit of outrage. Leaving over 50 people hospitalized, both in the movie and historically, King found himself so moved by this disgusting act that he began an onslaught of public statements, voicing his pleas for help. Therefore on the 7th of March, 1965, King stated an appeal, “calling on religious leaders from all over the nation to join us on