10 Things I Learned from Screening 'Selma'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - I grew up in Alabama and was there during the Birmingham bombing and the march from Selma to the capital, Montgomery. My father marched with Dr. King and it is a period of history I lived through as a child and have read a great deal about.
I saw "Selma," was not expecting a documentary, just a drama and am shocked people of my age seemingly know so little about this civil rights era. Nonetheless, here are 10 things I learned from screening "Selma":
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10. Director, Ava Duvernay, is the first African American female to be nominated for a Golden Globe.
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9. My father was asked to name all the capitals the first time he registered to vote in Alabama.
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8. Ledisi and Mahalia Jackson are both in the production through song.
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7. Ferguson Mentioned In Lyrics
John Legend and Common, who also acts in the film, referenced Ferguson in a song in the film.
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6. The use of the FBI logs as graphics in the film were illuminating and brilliant.
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5. President Johnson & Governor Wallace
There was little difference in terms of culpability between President Lyndon Johnson and Alabama Governor George C. Wallace.
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4. Two Celebrities Walked
Sammy Davis Jr. & Harry Belafonte were but two celebrities participating in the walk as seen in archival footage in the film.
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3. The actors playing Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Bayard Rustin were superb.
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2. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Smoked Cigarettes
"I had no idea!"
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1. Brad Pitt Is An Executive Producer