Selma

The film “Selma” is a movie about Martin Luther King jr. and his journey for civil rights. In the movie his next stop is Selma where African Americans are denied the right to vote because they have to go through a series of unnecessary tests to see if they’re actually “American citizens” MKL jr organizes and march from Selma to the capital of Alabama in protest. The first march does not work because state troopers, cops on horseback, and racist white Alabamans are waiting at the end of the bridge to not let them through. They throw tear gas at them and beat up innocent African Americans. The second march MKL jr calls on all sorts of people from all around the U.S. People answer his call and they all march together lead by MKL jr. When they get to the bridge the cops and state troopers disperse from blocking the bridge. When this happens MKL jr gets on his knee and prays and then gets up and walks away later explaining that he would rather have everyone upset at him rather than another slaughter like the first march. Later in the movie MLK jr realizes the only way this march is going to happen is if they go to court, they win the court case and march from Selma to the capital and MKL jr gives a speech right on the front steps. I enjoyed the film because it focused on multiple characters and all of their struggles. It showed the white pastor who was beaten and killed for coming down to march with MLK jr which proved that you didn’t have to be African American to be associated with them. I cringed a little bit watching this film when I watched innocent people being beaten to near death because of their skin color. Everyone should be equal and given a chance to show you they’re good people until they do something that would prove otherwise.