SelmaIsAMasterpieceBecause

AmajorsocialandlegalissueintheUnitedStatesduringthe20thcenturywasracism.Whitesandblackswereseparated
fromeachotherinmanyareasoftheirdailylives.BeingtreateddifferentlyupsetAfricanAmericansandinspiredthemtostartthe
CivilRightsMovement.Themovie
Selma
,directedbyAvaDuVernay,wasreleasedin2014.ThismovielooksatAfricanAmericans
whostandsupforwhatisright,includingtherighttovote,byvoicingtheiropinionsinpublic.
Selma
isamasterpiecebecauseit
reflectsthepastofthe1900s,itmovestheviewerbecauseoftheriotsandchurchburnings,anditalsorepresentsthetruthabout
racism,equality,andsegregation.

Selmaisamasterpiecebecauseitreflectsthepastofthe1960s.Accordingtohistoriansatdiscovering,TheSelmamarchhasa
significantplaceinthecivilrightshistory.IthelpedtoconvinceCongressthataVotingRightsActwasnecessary(DiscoveringHistory
US).TheSelmamarch,whichwasleadbyDr.King,showedCongressthatAfricanAmericansshouldbeabletovotetoo.TheMarch
remindspeopleofhowracismaffectedtheblacksandwhattheydidtostopit.Forjusticetheydidnotactoutofviolencetheyacted
outofrespectandrepresentedAfricanAmericansinarespectfulmanner.ThehistorianswroteItsbasicpurposewastoextend
votingrightstoblackAmericansinaperiodwhenmanysouthernwhiteleadersadamantlyresistedbroadeningthefranchise(
DiscoveringHistoryUs).ThepurposeoftheSelmaMarchwastoshowthatblackswantedtovoted,andtheyweremarchingfor
votingrights.Theymarchedforvotingandtheyweregrantedaccesstovote.ThewhitesdidnotwanttheAfricanAmericanstovote,
automaticallywhateverthewhitessaidwastheruleandeveryonelistened.

Selmaretainslinesofcommunicationwithimmediatepast.AccordingtoRiggs,authorofanessayontheCivilRights
MovementsaysIntheirsearchforeconomicjustice,AfricanAmericanssoughtfairwages.Accesstobetterjobsandequal
opportunitiesforworkplaceadvancement(CivilRightsMovement).TheAfricanAmericansfoughtforsomejusticetheywantedtobe
treatedfairlyandwithequality.Theywantedtomakethesameamountasawhitepersonwouldmakewiththesamejob.They
wantedtobeabletohavebetterjobsandthesameopportunitiesasothers.ThomasRiggs,theauthorofCivilRightsMovement
essayexplainsTheCivilRightsMovementofthe1950sand1960swasasocial,political,andeconomicrevolutioninwhichAfrican
Americansfoughtagainstracialsegregationanddiscriminationsrootedinthedaysofslavery(CivilRightsMovement).African
Americansfoughtbecausetheywerebeingtreatedunfair,theywantedtoendthediscriminationandstopsegregation.InSelma
youwillseehowthemarchedtogether.GroupsofallagesofAfricanAmericansweremarchingtoproveapoint.Theywantedtobe
abletovoteandbeabletobetreatedfairly.

Selmaisamasterpiecebecauseamasterpiecemovesusafterviewing,seeingorhearingit,whichmaymakesusfeelsadafter
allAfricanAmericanswentthroughorproudbecausetheydidntuseviolencetogetwhattheywantedorgetwhattheythoughtwas
equal.CorkySiemaszkosaysFromMay2toMay10,1963thenationborewitnessaspoliceinBirmingham,Atlanta.Aimed
highpoweredhosesandsiccedsnarlingdogsonblackmen,womenandevenchildrenwhowantedjustonethingtobetreatedthe
sameaswhiteAmericans(CorkySiemaszko).ThepoliceattackedtheAfricanAmericansjustbecausetheywantedtobe
equal.AfricanAmericanshadtohealthefamilymembersthatmayhavebeenwoundedBywatchingthismovieitmakesyoufeelsad
becauseofthewaytheywereabused.CorkySiemaszkowritesfromNyDailyNewsDeterminedtodesegregateBirmingham,King
andthesouthernChristianleadershipconferencehadstagedaseriesofbusinessboycottsinApril1963thatresultedinnumerous
arrests(CorkySiemaszko).TheAfricanAmericanswantedtobeequal,theywantedfreedomandtheyweretiredofthewrong
treatmenttheyfeltliketheywereoutcastbecausetheywerentaccepted.TheirSkintonewasntacceptedintothecommunity.Itwas
depressingandsadbecausetheywerentbeingacceptedforwhotheyareandwheretheycamefrom.AfricanAmericanswerebeing
treatedunfairlybyWhitepeople.Theystoppedridingthebusesbecauseofhowtheyweretreated.TheAfricanAmericanshadtosit
inthebackorstandifawhitepersonneededaseat.Theviewersmayhavefeltsad,orevenhurtbecauseofthewayAfrican
Americanswerebeingtreated.

Selmaisamasterpiecebecauseamasterpiecemovesusafterviewing,seeingorhearingit,inSelmatherewillbesomevery
sadpartswhereviewerswillmournforthepeoplewhowasbeingputthroughsuchharshtreatmentorwhohavebeenabused.
History.comstaffwritesOnthisdayin1963,abombexplodesduringSundaymorningservicesinthe16thstreetbaptistchurchin
Birmingham,Alabamakillingfouryounggirls(History.com).AfricanAmericanswerehurtanddepressedbecausetheCaucasianare
bombingAfricanAmericanChurches.Whentheybombthechurchestheyareaimingforanyonewhoisblack.Whentheybombed
thischurchtheyjustsohappenedtokillinnocentlittlegirls.Theyarebeingkilledbecausetheraceoftheirskintone.History.Com
staffsaysThechurchbombingwasthethirdinBirminghamin11daysafterafederalordercamedowntointegrateAlabamas
schoolsystem.Fifteensticksofdynamitewereplantedinthechurchbasement.Underneathwhatturnedouttobethegirlsrestroom.
Thebombdetonatedat10:19killingCynthia(FourBlackSchoolgirlsKilledInBirmingham,History.com).Thismovestheviewers
becausethiswasaveryhurtfultimeforallthefamilieswholosttheirchild,cousin,sisterorfriend.AstheviewerwatchesinSelma
peoplearetakingabuseorfacingdeathfortheirskintone.Allbecausetheywanttobeequal.Whenpeopleseepeopledyingovera
simplesituationthatcanbefixedisveryhearttouching.Nooneshouldlosetheirlivesovertheirskintone.

Selmaisamasterpiecebecauseitisdevotedtothetruth,whichisthatracismisbasedonfearofsomethingdifferentfrom
oneself.AnupShahfromRacismGlobalIssueswritesRacismisthebeliefthatcharacteristicsandabilitiescanbeattributedto
peoplesimplyonthebasisoftheirraceandthatsomeracialgroupsaresuperiortoothers(RacismAnupShah).Thetruthisracism
playedahugeroleinthemovieSelma.RacismwasbeingshownwhenAfricanAmericanswerentallowedtovote.Racismisshown
inSelmawhenaladywentuptoregisterforvotingandthemanquestionedherandthenthemansaidshewasntgivingthecorrect
answerssohedeniedher.AnupShahsaysRacismanddiscriminationhavebeenusedaspowerfulweaponsencouragingfearor
hatredofotherintimesofconflictandwarandevenduringeconomicdecisions(RacismAnupShah).RacismscaredtheAfrican
AmericansbecauseitstartedalotofdramabetweenAfricanAmericans(blacks)andCaucasians(whites).Whitepeoplethoughtthat
AfricanAmericanswerentgoodenoughandwillalwaysbesomeonetheycallwhentheyneedAfricanAmericansservice.Themovie
showedhowwhitestreatedtheblackswithsuchcruelanddegradingacts.Thismoviesshowshowthewhitesbeatontheblacks
becausetheyprotestedforequalrightsandtohaveaccesstovoting.ThisshowshowracismtowardsAfricanAmericanschanged
theirlives.

Selmaisamasterpiecebecauseitisdevotedtothetruth.DannyHirschelBurnsfromAfricanAmericansinBirminghamwrites
OnDecember20th,1957ReverendFredShuttlesworthdeliveredastatementontelevisionstatingthatunlessBirminghambuses
weredesegregatedinthenextsixdays,blacksspecificallymembersoftheAlabamaChristianmovementforthehumanrightswould
desegregatethebusesthemselves(DannyHirschelBurns).ThetruthwasthatthebusesweresegregatedsoAfricanAmericans
startedtoboycottthebuses,Whitepeoplewereshowingdiscriminationagainstskintone.DannyHirschelBurnsays,Alawsuitto
endbussegregationfailed,andShuttlesworthdecideddirectionactionwasonceagainneededonOctober20th,1958twentyblacks
boatedthefrontbusesinBirmingham.13peoplewerearrested(AfricanAmericansInBirmingham).AfricanAmericanstriedtohave
alawsuitbutitfailedsotheyattemptedtodesegregatebythemselvestheyfoughtforequality.RacismisbeingshowninSelmawhen
AfricanAmericanswouldhavetogiveuptheirseatforthewhitepeopleboardingthebus.Theybothpaidthesameamountsothey
shouldbetreatedthesame.

Selmaretainlinesofcommunicationwithimmediatepast.ThomasRiggsfromCivilRightsMovementIntheirsearchfor
economicjustice,AfricanAmericanssoughtfairwages,accesstobetterjobs,andequalopportunitiesforworkplaceadvancement.
TheAfricanAmericansfoughtforsomejusticetheywantedtobetreatedfairlyandwithequality.TheCivilRightsMovementofthe
1950sand1960swasasocial,political,andeconomicrevolutioninwhichAfricanAmericansfoughtagainstracialsegregationand
discriminationsrootedinthedaysofslavery.AfricanAmericansfoughtbecausetheywerebeingtreatedunfair,theywantedtoend
thediscriminationandstopsegregation.

SelmaisdefinitelyamasterpiecebecauseofthewarAfricanAmericansfoughtforequality,becauseitremindsyouofthepast
andisrepresentingthepresentandlastlythismovieshowsthetruth.Selmaremindsviewersofthethingsweseeeverydaybutwe
ignoreitoractlikewedontnoticeit.Selmaspeaksupaboutimportantracialissuesthathappeneveryday.Itteachesustostandup
forwhatisrightinanonviolentway.