Analysis Of The Movie Selma

Hanin Yaghmour
Mrs.Costello
history 7
Selma

The movie Selma introduced us to the difference in how the discrimination against African Americans to vote was dealt with. which differed from Dr. Martin Luther King to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the politicians in the legislative branch.
Dr. King believed the primary action that was fundamental for African Americans to actually be equal in this country was the ability to vote therefore making Selma, Alabama his next battlefield as a result of it being the city of most Radical violence Dr.King had began with a peaceful protest he wanted the media to know, to raise awareness as much as possible however in his process he realized he needed more than a protest but

real political power many had disagreed or criticized Dr. King’s process and plain especially the student nonviolent coordinating committee.
Politicians in the white house left Dr.

King frustrated and even hopeless at some point which led him to be more assertive to his approach Dr.King : “We are not asking our rights, We are demanding them”. At the beginning of the movie Dr. King had recently received a Nobel peace prize when he met with President Johnson he appeared to be willing and supporting Dr. King’s movement in reality he indirectly did not support and did not care about the violence African Americans had to go through to register to vote. He tried to convince Dr. king to address more fundamental issues such as poverty in reality very few to no politicians wanted African Americans to vote because it would be a powerful weapon for them to have. Dr. King realized they were trying to break him down Dr. King: “they gonna ruin me so they so they can ruin this movement”. They did so by trying to weaken his relationship with his wife. Governor of Alabama George Wallace reacted violently after the march to Selma’s court house led by Dr. King many were imprisoned including Dr. king himself. Governor Wallace then took action by using force for an upcoming march at night that took place in Marion, Alabama he used state troops which assaulted, injured and even killed many

marchers.
The March to Edmund Pettus Bridge was successful by getting support by white protesters
who had joined the second march that Dr. King called for. President Johnson was getting frustrated with what was happening in Alabama therefore he sends John doar to convince Dr. King to stop his next protest In the second protest the situation was quite different when the protesters reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge the troops had moved away for the protesters, Dr. king prayed and led the protesters back. Many people called his attempt a failure or criticized him especially the student nonviolent committee, Dr. King believed he would rather have people dislike him for what happened in the protest then be killed. Even though some people believed the second protest was a failure it led to some great change.

When president johnson realized Dr. King was not going to back down in his process President Johnson decided to met with Governor Wallace he tried to convince him
to allow African Americans to vote which could be because of political reasons or his reputation as a President in the future President Johnson: “I’ll be damned if I am gonna let history put me in the same place as the likes of you”. Governor Wallace was strict and stubborn in what he believed in he did not agree with what the President Johnson had
to say.
In 1956 President meets with congress he wanted to pass a bill quickly that eliminated
any restrictions on voting and finally Dr.King and other protesters had achieved victory.
President Johnson had the biggest change in his political process at first he tried to ignore
Dr. King and then realized he cannot ignore this issue it will not disappear on its own.
Even though states could practice their own rules on voting registration the federal
law had more control and oversight. Ater President Johnson had approved the voting rights act this caused an increase in African American representation in congress and
an increase in African American voting.