By Nydja Hood

Staff Writer

“Selma” left gave me chills throughout my body from the start to the end. It provided an audience with a raw in-depth perspective on the Civil Rights movement.

Ava DuVernay directed the film.

History classes have never done the Civil Rights Movement justice in that they downplayed the brutality that white police forced on peaceful blacks.

“Selma” was more than a biography of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., played by David Oyelowo. It included many other activists that stood by his side and actively participated in advocating social change.

Notably, MLK was not glamorized as a saint in the movie. He was portrayed as a human being. Aspects of the movie revealed his strengths, but other aspects also showed his vulnerability.

His infidelity was a part of the subject matter, but it did not take away from the main message the movie sought to deliver, nor did it taint his legacy of being one of the most inspirational African Americans in our nation’s history.

In addition to King’s willingness to sacrifice his life, the film also highlighted the impact the Civil Rights Movement had on the lives of others, most notably his wife Coretta Scott King, played by Carmen Ejogo, and his children, who were victims of constant death threats and harassment.

One of the scenes that resonated with me most was the scene that featured the last march to Montgomery, Alabama. The movie “Selma” provides my generation with the wake-up call that we desperately needed.

Seeing the overwhelming turnout of the activists who came from across the country to march alongside MLK and the Freedom Marchers, both black and white alike, was especially touching to me. Watching how much the movement had expanded throughout was heartwarming

It not only made me proud of my history as an African-American, but it made me want to do whatever I could do, in my power, to continue MLK’s legacy.

We cannot move forward and progress toward our future until we embrace and learn from the history that is our past, paying respects to those who paved the way and came before us.

“Selma” is the wakeup call that our generation needs.