The movie, Selma, was based off of the Civil Rights protest for voting rights in 1965. Selma is located in Alabama and Dr. Martin Luther King travels there from Atlanta, Georgia to help get rid of segregation there. In the movie, there were famous politicians and activists which include: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson, Malcolm X, John Lewis, J. Edgar Hoover, and George Wallace. Activist are the most responsible for social change, because they are the most active in protesting, marching, etc. They want a change in the blacks right to vote and they believe they should have an equal opportunity as whites. Politicians are slow to sign on, because white politicians did not want blacks to be in office, therefore Johnson could not get …show more content…
the support to sign the bill for it to be passed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson, and John Lewis are either politicians or activists and they each have similarities and different depictions in the movie, Selma. Dr. King was a black activist who was determined to act immediately on black voting rights. Johnson’s argument to King was that allowing blacks to vote was not on his priority list of things to do, but he would get around to it eventually. Constitutionally, whites and blacks have the same voting rights; however, in Selma the racist politicians and local registration made it difficult for them. The blacks who have tried to register to vote experienced slow services, impossible literacy tests, threats of violence, etc. King made a speech at a black church in Selma stating that segregation must stop and that they will do whatever is needed to allow blacks and whites to vote equally. King was upset because more than fifty percent of Selma is Negro and that less than two percent of Negros could vote. Negros were voiceless and they could not determine their own life and destiny. Their life was in the hands of the whites. Since their lives were in the hands of whites this meant that they would protest, march, risk their lives, and risk going to jail until there was equality. Dr. King said that “Every white man abuses the law to terrorize. Every white politician feeds on prejudice and hatred” (King). They were not asking white politicians, but they were demanding and would not stop until they got the bill passed. There were similarities and differences between Dr.
Martin Luther King, Lyndon Johnson, and John Lewis. Dr. Martin Luther King and John Lewis were both activist while Lyndon Johnson was a politician. The activists were based off of a non-violent protest and march while Johnson was sending in troops to violently attack the marches for no reason. Dr. King would speak with Johnson and tried to convince him that if he passed the bill then there would be no violence. King and Lewis wanted federal protection in Selma and argued to the president that he has never been to Selma, therefore he does not know the severity of this problem. The themes in this movie include: love, evil, hate, and faith. Dr. King and Lewis were all about faith and love while Johnson was about hate and evil. Faith and love shows in Dr. King when he marches to the bridge and kneels down to pray. He knew that God would not want him to go through the troops in risk of having more of his people killed so he turned around. Johnson shows hate when he speaks to Dr. King and demands him to stop the marches going on around the White House because he does not need to be dealing with that. He shows evil when he is not doing anything about the equality with blacks and whites. Instead, he sat back and watched all of black being killed. John Lewis and Dr. King were very similar because they were both civil right leader and they both felt strongly on voting rights for blacks. When Dr. King could not march, Lewis stepped in and lead the march. Lewis and King both lead the big march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. King wanted his movement to change laws and the day to day life of people; however, Johnson would not help blacks out by giving them their constitutional right of equality between blacks and
whites. All of Dr. King’s marches provide examples on how activists act on what believe in and fight until they get what they wanted. Dr. King’s marches were all non-violent on their part. The first march that Dr. King led was at the Selma courthouse and white security guards stood outside of the court house to stop them. The security guards started to become violent with some of the marchers and were beating them for no reason. The result of this march was not successful and ended up with them leaving the courthouse with the arrest of Dr. King. While Dr. King was in jail, John Lewis lead the march. Troupers stood on the other side of the bridge waiting for the marchers and opened fire to them. The troopers attacked them and unleashed gas to try to kill them when they said they would not leave. Shortly after, there was a night march happening when King got out of jail. Whites came and were beating blacks under the order of Wallace. This resulted in the death of Jimmy Lee Jackson and everyone was heart-broken over his death. The result of Jackson’s death did not stop King and his people from getting what they wanted. If the president will not act on this then Dr. King will. After Dr. King got out of jail, he met with President Johnson in Washington D.C. and told Johnson that they will march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to protest. Johnson told Dr. King to not do that because it will be very dangerous for him and his people. Dr. King does not obey Johnson’s request and marches anyway with 525 Negros. When they got to the bridge, Dr. King turned around because he did not want to see any of his people killed again. Kings argument to Johnson was that how could he could send troops to defend the whites, but not send troops to Selma to protect the blacks and their rights. Dr. King is still determined to fight even though it kept leading in the result of deaths from their people and this shows how determined they are to solve their voting rights issue. He asks people from around the country to come help them march and protest against inhumanity and injustice. The marches that King and his people do are examples on how activists are most responsible for social change, because in the end they got what they wanted. The central argument the movie makes about the differences between politicians and activists is that politicians have many issues to deal with while activists only focus on one issue. Some similarities that the movie depicts between activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and politician, Lyndon Johnson was that they both wanted equality between blacks and whites. King’s focus was on getting President Johnson to pass another bill allowing blacks to vote the same way whites were allowed. Johnson could not get people to sing the bill, because they did not want blacks to be able to take office. Throughout all of the marches in Selma, there were many deaths that occurred and the number kept rising as time went on. Politicians were responsible for this and watched all these innocent people being killed. It got to a point where white people in Selma would just kill any black they saw or any white person who was marching with the blacks. Marches and protests were forming all over the country and even the White House. President Johnson got to a point where he had enough and he unveiled his Voting Rights Bill to legislators and the people. Now, politicians and activists agreed that blacks had the right to vote and Johnson signed The Voting Rights Act of 1965 shortly after they came to this conclusion. Politicians and activists had differences in what they believed blacks could do and similarities when they came to the agreement that blacks should have equal voting rights as whites. In the end, Johnson had enough of the men and women suffering in Selma, because of their part on denying their rights of voting. This was an American problem and America needed to solve it together. Johnson passed The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and it says that no person should be denied to vote because of their race or color. It also fought that anyone could go to school where they wish, could sit wherever they want, and most importantly vote where they please. Dr. King and his people fought hard for what they believed what was right for them and it paid off in the end. There were times that the activist lagged behind because they kept losing lives from their people. The white politicians were succeeding because they were in charge of everyone. However, the politicians were lagging behind in the end, because they did not want to move forward by passing The Voting Rights Act. Therefore, the blacks were succeeding in the end, because they ended up getting the bill passed. The signing of The Voting Rights Act was one of the most significant success for the civil rights movement.
Here, though, the focus is primarily on the Committee’s voter registration initiative starting in 1964. This documentary provides a more historical perspective, and offers glimpses into the strategies used in Selma, Alabama to obtain social change. It shows how those within the group questioned the effectiveness of the protests and the march, and
The movie “Walkout” is about young Chicano/a activists who demand educational equality. In 1968, students living in East L.A were treated unequally. Since, most of these students were Chicanos they were given few resources. One example was presented when Paula visited the Palisades library. In East Los Angeles, bathrooms were close during lunch breaks and students were forced to janitorial labor as forms of punishment. Throughout, the movie some themes that arose were regarding identity (What is a Chicano?), walkouts as forms of protest for equality, and gender expectations. After Salvador Castro read the poem “I am Joaquin” by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez, the Chicano/a activist’s had a hard time understanding who they were. Many Chicano/a’s identified
Martin Luther King, Jr. is known to be a civil rights activist, humanitarian, a father, and a clergyman. He is well known for fighting for the equal rights of colored people and ending discrimination. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is an important part of history that showed King’s opinion of a letter that he happened to read in the newspaper written by a group of clergyman. In this letter, the group of clergyman report that colored people, also known as black people, are being violent towards Birmingham City. Also, the clergymen believed the time that will allow segregation to be diminished was not happening anytime soon because it is not convenient. King refuted the clergymen’s argument in a variety of ways using tactics of argumentation and persuasion like appeal to emotion through real life examples, appeal to logic, and even articulating certain phrases through metaphors and word choice. Many of these different tactics of argumentation and persuasion made his letter very effective and is now seen as a great piece that is looked upon highly today.
As you now see, people stand as role models for one another and follow in their footsteps. From the beginning, Lewis was inspired by Rosa Parkes and Dr Martin Luther King. All these people believed in their dreams, and were committed to their hearing to go forth and achieve a sole goal, to create an equal relationship between races, which means exterminating segregation and earning constitutional
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King brings attention to the reality of racial inequality in the 1960s. King writes this letter in response to clergymen addressing their apprehensions regarding the timing of the nonviolence demonstrations. The letter addressees specific arguments presented in the clergymen’s letter and his direct response. King’s goal in writing this letter is to convince the clergymen that his strategies are right and just. In this section, King rebuts the allegation made by the clergymen that his actions were untimely. In his counter argument, King uses repetition, metaphors, emotional appeals in order to persuade the audience to support his cause.
Everyone that has been through the American school system within the past 20 years knows exactly who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is, and exactly what he did to help shape the United States to what it is today. In the beginning of the book, Martin Luther King Jr. Apostle of Militant Nonviolence, by James A. Colaiaco, he states that “this book is not a biography of King, [but] a study of King’s contribution to the black freedom struggle through an analysis and assessment of his nonviolent protest campaigns” (2). Colaiaco discusses the successful protests, rallies, and marches that King put together. . Many students generally only learn of Dr. King’s success, and rarely ever of his failures, but Colaiaco shows of the failures of Dr. King once he started moving farther North.
talks about how African Americans in the South were being arrested and publicly chastened by the police force for their nonviolent protests. But, he extols these protests because of what they stand for. He says they “…preserve the evil system of segregation…I wish you had commended the Negro demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer, and their amazing discipline in the midst of the most inhuman provocation” (94). Because these people were aiming to end the discrimination they were facing, and did this in a peaceful manner that respected their Judeo-Christian values that all men are created equal, King saw it as exactly what this oppressed group needed. They needed a push of confidence to know that they were being treated unjustly, and that they did have the power to stand up to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of a peaceful movement to end segregation in the United States this mission led him in 1963 to Birmingham, Alabama where officials and leaders in the community actively fought against desegregation. While performing sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests, King was imprisoned by authorities for violating the strict segregation laws. While imprisoned King wrote a letter entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in which he expresses his disappointment in the clergy, officials, and people of Birmingham. This letter employed pathos to argue that the leaders and ‘heroes’ in Birmingham during the struggle were at fault or went against their beliefs.
When Martin Luther King, Jr. spearheaded the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, he began a long tenancy as the representative for nonviolent demonstration during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. As a Baptist minister, he was a moral leader to the community. He was one the Black community looked up to for encouragement and strength in a tie where they were oppressed and unequally treated. Dr. King was known for being approachable; compelling and being able to move a crowd with the powerful and provoking words he spoke. He had a vision of how he wanted the world to look when the racism and discrimination would be no longer and all the children of all different ethnicities and backgrounds could play openly and cohabitate peacefully together. Because of all the hard work and dedication he put into his community and the Civil rights...
Martin Luther King Jr. have dreams of the nation they are trying to form. These instances of envisioning are prevalent in March and are often touching. Dr. King in the text makes an bold statement that demonstrates to the reader why great leaders in this time period in history made a great change in our nation. While talking to Robert Kennedy regarding the unlawful arrest of African Americans in Jackson Mississippi, King speaks to him about why they must continue protesting. King implores, “I’m deeply appreciative of what the administration is doing. I see a ray of hope, but I am different from my father. I feel the need of being free now.” (Lewis and Aydin 96). Martin Luther King not only speaks in terms of a dream when he uses the words ‘ray of hope’, but when he says that he ‘feels the need of being free now’, he envisions a world that could be different. A world contradicting the racism and hate that those of African descent have experienced since the beginning of American history. Though this isn’t Martin’s famous ‘I have a dream speech’, it is evident that he has had a dream and a plan to fulfill it long before the speech that America will remember for the rest of its history. John Lewis had the pleasure of working with Dr. King and sharing his values in the text. John Lewis also has dreams of what America could become—John sees excellent value in the potential of individuals to change America. After Robert Kennedy pulls him aside to reverence the change that has occurred in him being ‘woke’, John explains why People like Kennedy make his dream for America come true. John speaks, “It showed me something about Robert Kennedy that I came to respect: even though he could be a little rough—ruthless, some would say—he was willing to learn, to grow, and to change.” (Lewis and Aydin 152). John has dedicated his life to this movement—giving up an education and other possible opportunities to address injustices among his brothers. In the text, the
Selma, Alabama became the focus of the civil rights movement as activists worked to register Black voters. Demonstrators also organized a march from Selma to Montgomery to promote voting rights. "Bloody Sunday" occured when state troopers attacked demonstrators.
Garrow, David J. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. New York: New Haven and London Yale University Press. 1978
Garrow, David. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Voting rights act of 1965. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1978. 135-147. Print.√
Gut-wrenching scenes of racial violence and uplifting speeches by MLK are masterfully recreated in the historical drama Selma. Director Ava DuVernay focuses on the months leading up to the voter's right march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. While the movie accurately captures the personal stories of those in attendance it falls short of being truthful about the role President Johnson played. The complex relationship between MLK and LBJ is inaccurately portrayed as one filled with tension. President Johnson acted by Tom Wilkinson is wrongly shown in this film to be less of a civil rights champion and more of an obstacle to King's objectives. MLK is powerfully portrayed by David Oyelowo who captures Martin Luther Kings brilliance as well as
Recently, there is a spike of historical films being released lately. One of the films is an Academy Award nominee for “Best Picture,” Selma. The film, Selma, is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. The film shows the struggles of the black community face with the blockage of their voting rights and the racial inequality during the civil rights movement. Selma is about civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. heading to the rural Alabama City, Selma, to secure the voting rights for the African American community by having a march to Montgomery. It shows the struggles from what the African American community had to endured during the 1960s. Selma shows a social significance to today’s current events, specifically