The Movie ‘Selma’ Highlights Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy
Oprah helped produce the movie Selma six years ago, and the theme is timeless. It might be a good way to honor the Rev. Dr. King today, on the holiday that marks his legacy.
I am a huge wimp when it comes to violence in movies and I have to cover my eyes or grab my date's bicep when it gets to be too much. I'm a little squeamish about some of the beating that happens in this movie, and I wish that barbed wire would never be wound around a baseball bat for any purpose. Ever. But, history happens, and it's rarely all roses and meadows.
IMDb describes Selma as "A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965." Dr. King was known for his non-violent approach, but that doesn't mean it didn't get a little messy.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, but it didn't put an immediate end to discrimination, and it was often hard for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, Alabama became the battleground in the fight for the right to vote, and during that time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers marched from Selma to Montgomery in what was meant to be a non-violent protest. There were plenty of details to fill in before President Lyndon B. Johnson ultimately signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Eighty-nine percent of Google users gave the movie a thumbs-up, and 99% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes approved. Some of the comments I read said, "gripping," "bruising," and "great performances." David Oyelowo stars as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Oprah Winfrey and Cuba Gooding Jr. are in the movie too.
You can find Selma on several streaming platforms today. I've ready that Vudu, FandangoNow, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV have the movie available for rent, and in most cases, it will cost less than five dollars.
The movie is also scheduled to show on FX this afternoon.
And, of course, another great way to remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today is to watch the "I Have a Dream" speech. You can view that HERE.