Ava DuVernay’s 2014 film, Selma is a powerful piece of cinematography that captures the civil rights marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King and his followers aimed to advance equal voting rights for African Americans through non-violent protests and activism in 1965. The film also depicts Reverend King’s relationship and discussions with President Lyndon B. Johnson regarding possible solutions to the racial conflicts in the state of Alabama. I believe that the film portrayed Johnson fairly considering his political struggle with Congress while confronting the immense pressure of Dr. King’s voting rights campaign and legislative demands. Johnson’s hesitant stance towards voting rights is justified by King and Johnson highlights the president’s reluctance to act on the voting rights demands of the Reverend. Johnson points out that civil rights agenda has always been the priority of his administration. Yet, he explains that the eradication of poverty for all Americans is his current focus and urges Dr. King to “not start another battle when we haven’t even won the first.” (DuVernay) Government is a bureaucratic intensive process requiring gradual steps and procedures to function. Tackling too many issues may become problematic for a government because it creates congestion and inefficiency. Johnson’s governmental position requires him to appeal to these procedures to maintain order. On the other hand, Johnson expressed to Dr. King that “I want to help. Tell me how.” (DuVernay) Dr. King's request that African Americans be given the ability to vote without federal or state intervention. Ultimately, Johnson is portrayed as a government official that is not familiar with grass-roots activism efforts and the day-to-day experiences of the black community that deal with systemic racism. His portrayal as an unsympathetic government official is critical to understanding distinctions between civil rights leaders and Johnson states that his legislative agenda does not give him the ability to pass the Voting Rights Act in 1965 because “You’re an activist, I am a politician. You have one big issue. I’ve got a hundred and one.” (DuVernay) Selma underlines that presidential responsibilities are complicated and unique in their own respect. The president has to be given some time to accomplish his goals due to the size of his agenda. Johnson also states that “This bill has been almost impossible to craft you hear me? You think your juggling; I’m juggling too.” (DuVernay) Once again, Johnson display of frustration towards the impatient demands of Dr. King is due to his heavy workload. Dr. King’s demands come from a civilian and activist perspective, which stress the importance of immediate change. Dr. King possesses the activism expertise and civil rights experiences to implement change. Yet, he may not be completely familiarized with how the governmental system utilizes political strategies and bill sequencing to implement change within society. In actuality, Johnson did not think that the voting act was not necessary it’s just that he was just strategically planning when the bill was going to be
It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. did great things. We have learned in school that he was a leader in the movement to desegregate the South. He has served as a role model for people across the globe. But even though Martin did change the world for the better, it was not without hardships. We gathered new information on Dr. King in the essay, “Heeding the Call” by Diana Childress. From his childhood to his last days, Martin faced massive opposition. Still, all of these challenges brought Martin the wisdom and idealism he used throughout his life.
This book follows Johnsons political career, from a eager hard-working congressional secretary to the landslide victor of the 1964 presidential election. It discusses his "liberal" political views, It seems as though Johnson thought he could help the American people single-handedly and he seemed determined to do it. Johnson is He is praised for his vast legislative record and his stand on poverty and eventually, civil rights. He is criticized for his methods and
Here, though, the focus is primarily on the Committee’s voter registration initiative starting in 1964. This documentary provides a more historical perspective, and offers glimpses into the strategies used in Selma, Alabama to obtain social change. It shows how those within the group questioned the effectiveness of the protests and the march, and
King opens his speech by urging the African American population to be active and aware. He utilizes recurrent phrases in his speech suggesting that it is vital to “remain awake” (1) during revolutions expressing that people must intervene to acquire justice in all aspects of their lives, and by claiming that it is detrimental
Historians offer different perceptions of the significance of Martin Luther King and the 1963 March on Washington. Without examining this event within its historical context the media publicity and iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech can easily overshadow progress that was already underway in America. It was insisted by prominent civil rights activist Ella Baker, ‘the movement made Martin rather than Martin making the movement.’ What is important not to overlook is the significant change that took place in the United States during the previous 100 years. Such that, many influential figures in support of racial equality opposed the March. The Civil Rights Act proposed by President Kennedy in 1963 was already in the legislative process. Furthermore the Federal Government was now reasserting power over the entire of the United States by enforcing a policy of desegregation. It is important to note that these changes all took place less than one hundred years after the Thirteenth Amendment in 1965 abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth amendment in 1968 acknowledged the rights of former slaves to be acknowledged as U.S citizens. With this level of progress Kennedy was against the March going ahead due to the argument that it was limited in what it could achieve. Today, King’s 1963 Speech is viewed as one of the most iconic speeches in history. However, was it a key turning point in African Americans achieving racial equality? Federal endorsement would suggest yes after decades of southern states being able to subvert the Federal law designed to break down segregation. This support built upon the corner stones of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments in the nineteenth century. Therefore looking at the national status of black Americans fro...
King unmasks a harsh truth about the transgressions taking place in Birmingham. This shows that the legislators are going to extreme lengths to keep African Americans from voting, even in places where they make up most of the population. Not only is this a problem because they have no voice in the decision of the segregation laws, but they don’t even have an input for any other laws. This is a violation to their constitutional rights and is most likely the reason why King ended the paragraph off with that question. He knows that the U.S. is supposed to be founded on the grounds of democracy, and yet they are selective to whom its beneficiaries of democracy
Recently you have received a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In Dr. King’s letter he illustrates the motives and reasoning for the extremist action of the Civil Rights movement throughout the 1960’s. In the course of Dr. King’s letter to you, he uses rhetorical questioning and logistical reasoning, imagery and metaphors, and many other rhetorical devices to broaden your perspectives. I am writing this analysis in hopes you might reconsider the current stance you have taken up regarding the issues at hand.
The Civil Rights Movement and President Johnson are closely linked in history. Though there were many other faces to the Civil Rights Movement, Johnson’s was one of the most publicly viewed and instrumental in its passing. It was Johnson who carried the weight and responsibilities of the issue after the assassination of JFK, and it was he who would sign it. Lyndon B Johnson was the most influential forces in establishing the movement that would ensure civil rights for black americans. Johnson was a constant and unwavering supporter of civil rights. Without his supreme efforts in establishing civil rights for all, equality would never have come to pass.
The march from Selma to Montgomery drew a lot of attention. Some negative and some positive. The book said that ten doctors and nurses flew to Selma and there was ambulance close and available. There were also reporters there and as the police and other authorities advanced on the peaceful protestors, cameras were catching the action. On every front-page paper in America, pictures of tear gas and beaten marchers showed the nation the ugly truth that was the total racism in the South. Roy Reed, a reporter at the scene described what he saw. Reed’s story was brutal just like every other witness that gave their story that was there and after these stories were published the outrage spread (p.60). After Selma, Pratt said that the movement was able to take off. He said that Dr. King was able to be taken serious (p.98). This is why things were able to get done. With the support of the majority of the nation behind them, the voting rights movement took off. It is why the voting rights act was signed on the sixth of August
"Lyndon B. Johnson and Civil Rights:Introduction to the Digital Edition." Presidential Recordings of Lyndon B. Johnson Digital Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2015.
In the 1960’s America was divided over the voting rights of African Americans. It was a time of racial and political unrest as president Lyndon B. Johnson encouraged Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. On March 16, 1965 “We Shall Overcome” was delivered to congress. Lyndon B. Johnson was elected vice president of the United States in 1960 and became the 36th president in 1963. Throughout his speech Johnson uses a variety of strategies to persuade the nation that African Americans have the right to vote. Some of these strategies include ethos, logos, and pathos.
He went from fearing the loss of the Southern Democrats, to being so inspired by the actions of the Civil Rights activists, particularly those in Selma (and probably publically pressured) to outwardly supporting the Voting Rights Bill of 1965. According to a speech he gave prior to presentation of the bill to congress, he described the bill as “a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote” (350). He appealed to the nation with statements about equality, and how the right to vote falls under “human rights” rather than “states rights or national rights” (351). Political equality for African Americans would finally be in
Kirk, J. (2007). Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement: controversies and debates. Basingstoke New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Garrow, David J. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. New York: New Haven and London Yale University Press. 1978
Recently, there is a spike of historical films being released lately. One of the films is an Academy Award nominee for “Best Picture,” Selma. The film, Selma, is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. The film shows the struggles of the black community face with the blockage of their voting rights and the racial inequality during the civil rights movement. Selma is about civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. heading to the rural Alabama City, Selma, to secure the voting rights for the African American community by having a march to Montgomery. It shows the struggles from what the African American community had to endured during the 1960s. Selma shows a social significance to today’s current events, specifically