Selma 2014

In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) is honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. The story opens with four African American girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church, who tragically lose their lives in an explosion, a pivotal event that underscores the violence of the era. Meanwhile, in Selma, Alabama, Annie Lee Cooper (portrayed by Carmen Ejogo) struggles in her attempt to register to vote, facing obstruction from the white registrar.

As King pursues federal legislation to ensure African American citizens can vote freely, he meets with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tim Roth). Johnson expresses his focus on other pressing matters, dismissing King’s urgent plea. King passionately argues that the right to vote is crucial, highlighting the systemic oppression that African Americans have endured for years. He explains how the all-white juries deny justice to their communities, stating that “the right to vote should not be a privilege.”

Accompanied by Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, James Orange, and Diane Nash, King travels to Selma, the heart of Southern anti-African American sentiment. Here, King encounters the challenges of staying at a hotel that prohibits African Americans. Activists from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) are on the scene, as tensions escalate with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover warning Johnson that King’s influence could undermine stability. Amidst fears for their safety, Coretta Scott King shares her concerns with King while he seeks encouragement through the powerful voice of Mahalia Jackson.

In a pivotal showdown, King and the local residents march to the registration office, only to face brutal resistance from law enforcement. A confrontation ensues, resulting in violence and the arrest of King, Cooper, and others. Governor George Wallace vocally opposes the movement, while Malcolm X offers a more radical approach to garner white support—his ideology starkly different from King’s commitment to non-violence.

As the march from Selma to Montgomery nears, with activists like John Lewis and Hosea Williams in attendance, the group crosses the Edmund Pettus Bridge, only to face a violent onslaught from state troopers. The attack is televised, shocking the nation as Fred Gray, the movement’s attorney, seeks judicial approval for the march. Following the tragic death of activist James Reeb, President Johnson calls for swift action to secure voting rights, highlighting the extraordinary bravery of the demonstrators in his address to Congress.

Ultimately, the march culminates in Montgomery, where King delivers a compelling speech at the State Capitol, proclaiming that the quest for equality is nearing its goal. With every stride taken, the sacrifices and struggles of those involved in the civil rights movement are poignantly acknowledged, emphasizing the ongoing fight for justice and equality.