Violence In Selma

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The film Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, accurately depicts aspects of the Civil Rights Movements during the 1900s. The film focuses on the events leading up to and the events at Selma, Alabama. Alabama was an extremely racist state in which only two percent of African Americans were allowed to vote. The state used unjust literacy tests in order to inhibit the African Americans right to vote. The events leading up to the Selma campaign and the Selma campaign itself were effectively and accurately depicted. There were quite a few events that led to the Selma campaign. The movie, Selma, chose to focus on the Birmingham Church bombings(Chapter 21, Section 2) , in which four girls were killed after a bomb was thrown into a church. Martin Luther …show more content…
The Edmund Pettus Bridge was a decisive standing ground for the SCLC and SNCC (Chapter 21, Section 2), The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Before Martin Luther King Jr. arrived to lead the march, SNCC and a few SCLC members organized a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Their path was impeded by Alabama state troopers. The state troopers used gas, nightsticks, and whips to send the protesters back. The entire event was televised by various media sources. The media was a tremendous factor in the success of the Selma campaign. The entire event was televised to the nation and horrified most viewers. This led to a court case in which the judge gave Martin Luther King Jr. a permit to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. During the second crossing, Martin Luther King Jr. decides not to cross as he believes that he will be walking into a trap. Both attempts of the march are accurately depicted in the movie. Additionally, the movie displays many people who would cheer as the African Americans were beaten. During this era, many people resented the African Americans for wanting equality and vocally opposed them. This is shown in the film when white people are shown getting ready for “battle”. The final outcome in the movie was that Martin Luther King Jr. reached the Alabama capitol building in Montgomery and gave a speech. Throughout the events at Selma the Civil Rights Movement is accurately displayed and effectively portrays the