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| http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/articles/2015/03/20/the-forgotten-second-selma-march/jcr:content/image.img.2000.jpg/1426857081718.cached.jpg taken from google images |
An American Problem
The
film “Selma” is a movie about Martin Luther King jr. and his fight for civil
rights. In the movie his next fight 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” and are evaluated by white
people who already don’t want them to vote. MKL jr organizes a 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. When they try a second march MKL jr calls
on all sorts of people from all around the U.S who are sick of what is
happening in America to join the fight. People from all over America, from all
different backgrounds 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 for not proceeding on with the march rather than another slaughter
like the previous 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 from
multiple backgrounds 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 the fight for
civil rights. That part made me the most upset because it proved that people
were not concerned with human life if they could kill whoever whenever they
wanted. I cringed a little bit watching this film while I watched innocent
people being beaten to near death because of their skin color. Everyone should be
treated equal and given a chance to show you that they’re good people until
they do something that would prove otherwise.
