Selma

Am Dienstag, dem 29. März folgten mein  Leistungskurs-Englisch L05 der Einladung der Botschaft der USA zu einer Vorführung des Films Selma mit einem Grußwort der Gesandten-Botschaftsrätin Elizabeth Horst. Es folgt ein Bericht von Raykia Schütte, Maxim Jungmann und Maximilian Siebach (Jg. 11) – Susanne Weiland, Kursleitung

Everyone has probably heard the name of Martin Luther King but many do not know who the person behind the name is. 

On March 29, our English AP class went to the Zoo Palast cinema, following an invitation of the American Embassy. We watched the movie Selma, which fit well since we had talked about American history such as the Civil Rights movements in class. Therefore the movie was a good addition to the lessons. 

The movie shows the story of Martin Luther King and the conflict on voting rights in the city of Selma. The story starts in 1964, when Martin Luther King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. That scene was immediately harshly contrasted by one showing an attack on a church in which four black children are killed. King then travels to Selma to campaign for voter registration for the black population, which was illegally oppressed by white officials. He leads a non-violent demonstration to the courthouse, which becomes the scene of a violent conflict started by the town‘s sheriff. Violence and arrests follow and Dr. King is also arrested. The black demonstrators plan a march to the jail. This is violently ended by the police and a young black man named Jimmy Lee Jackson, gets shot and killed. The next march to Montgomery is also violently stopped by the police on the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge. Police brutality is televised throughout the states which causes a sensation. The second march to Montgomery is led by King – this time, not only black but also white people take part in the demonstration. At first, he police opens the way for them, but King turns back and everyone follows him. That same evening, a white pastor is beaten to death by white extremists and King tries to convince President Lyndon B. Johnson to give them protection for the march to Montgomery. The third and final march succeeds without further incident and all the Protestants arrive in Montgomery, where King delivers a speech. All black people are finally guaranteed voter registration by the President. 

In our opinion it was an awesome movie, which showed the complications and living conditions during the times of racial segregation in America. It perfectly presented the inequality between black and white at that period.