53 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King: which film best describes the saga of leadership that changed the history of the United States

This sunday is accomplished 53 years after the death of Martin Luther King, the famous American pastor and activist who gave his life in his fight for equal rights for African Americans. On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was bullet in the head when he was on the balcony of a Memphis motel, where he had visited to support striking local garbage collectors. His life story and the non-violent anti-racial discrimination movement he led have been widely portrayed in the movies.. Perhaps the most successful film is Selma: the power of a dream, the drama directed by Ava DuVernay it says how the massive steps from Selma to Montgomery were created that forever changed American history.

The film begins just after Luther King (played by David Oyelowo) receives the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1964 at the University of Oslo (Norway) for his non-violent resistance to racial discrimination and its willingness to pass civil rights law in the USA. At 35, he thus becomes the youngest recipient in the history of the award.

However, their fight had only just begun. He still had a long way to go to reach the equality of African-American men and women, in particular with regard to right to vote. Back then, universal suffrage was a right only white Americans had.

The story tells about the efforts of Luther King and his supporters to allow African Americans to register to vote in local, state and federal elections. For this, the activist had to face the US government opposition, led by Democratic President Lyndon Baines Johnson (Tom Wilkinson), who despite understanding the concerns of the African American community and after the approval of the Civil Rights Act, still believed the conditions were not in place to continue granting more rights because, he argued, he had other important projects first. At the same time, FBI accused Luther King of being a Communist and informed Johnson of every step the pastor took.

To the reluctance of the White House is added that of the State of Alabama and its Governor, Republican George Wallace (Tim Roth), who supported the segregationism and had no intention of allowing universal suffrage nor the demonstrations by African Americans to demand the right to vote. “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever”, was his promise when he took office in January 1963.

Despite the obstacles that presented themselves along the way, Luther King managed to make the plight of African Americans visible and secure the support needed to lead the marches from Selma to Montgomery (capital of Alabama) to demand the right to vote. The last drop was the murder of activist Jimmie Lee Jackson by police who was shot dead during a peaceful protest in Marion. The African American community was very hurt and shaken after the incident and ready to walk to make your voice heard.

Bloody sunday

What happened during Selma’s walk is a unhealed wound in American history. Without the presence of Luther King, March 7, 1965 around 600 African Americans dressed in formal clothes, they were preparing to cross the Puente Edmund Pettus. However, along the way, they were intercepted and brutally attacked by Alabama security forces with batons and tear gas. Therefore, dozens of people had to be hospitalized.

Luther King rushed to Selma to organize a second gear, which after being broadcast live on television across the country, achieved sensitize a large number of white citizens who have decided to join the protest movement. When the demonstrators again reached the bridge which two days earlier had witnessed the terrible police brutality, The activist brought the group back to Church because he understood that before continuing with the march, he had to make sure he had the protection of a federal court to do so..

In light of recent acts of violence and under pressure from public opinion, President Johnson, in address to the House of Representatives and the Senate, He called on both houses to enact a right to vote for African Americans, which would be approved months later..

With Johnson’s pledge to protect protesters, March 21 began the third and last March from Selma to Montgomery. The walkers have turned 87 miles along US Route 80, escorted by thousands of Alabama National Guard members, FBI agents and Federal Marshals. Four days later, the massive group arrived at their destination and Luther King stood on the steps of the Alabama Capitol to deliver a messianic-tinged speech that represented the culmination of one of his movement’s bloodiest campaigns., but what resulted keys to securing the long-awaited voting rights of African Americans.

Selma: the power of a dream obtained two Oscar nominations 2015, including best movie and best original song, category in which he won Glory, composed by John Stephens, Lonnie Lynn and Che Smith, and performed by the singer John Legend and rapper Common. The film is available for rental on the platform Amazon Prime Video.

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