Glory Imagery

500 Words1 Page

Common and John Legend’s song “Glory” was written for the movie “Selma,” released in 2014, which describes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s campaign for civil rights in the 1960s. Specifically, the movie recounts the events of his historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The music video, which includes scenes from the movie, displays acts of racism and oppression done by police officers while others watched, providing a view into the harsh lives African Americans faced at the time. Through the imagery within the song, “Glory,” and “Selma” as a whole, depicts the impacts of racism on those subjected to discrimination, as well as the role of bystanders in perpetuating these dangerous ideas. There are quite a few clips in this video that …show more content…

There is another scene in the same vein near the end of the video, at 2:24–2:30, depicting a line of police officers next to bystanders with confederate flags, getting ready to fight back against the marching crowd of black people. While the viewer does not actually see what happens after this, it can be presumed that the crowd is attacked by the police, while the people on the sidelines let it happen. These two scenes illustrate the perpetuation of racism through acts of violence and oppression. Despite all the horrific imagery featured in the video, there are also many powerful scenes of solidarity and unity. As noted before, the viewer is able to see African American people marching together as one against this injustice through many moments in the video, such as at 0:39, 2:14, 2:24, and 2:46. These actions reflect the resilience and determination of marginalized communities to confront and overcome barriers created by racism. While the detrimental effects of racism inflict harm on many people, the unity and strength of those who experience it serve as beacons of hope for

Open Document