Today in the United States they celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Fifty years ago this March King was involved in a march in Selma to bring attention to voter rights, which was a movie playing in local theatres. One of the participants, John, Lewis, who had his skull crushed, was accused by Trump a few days ago as being all talk, no action.
Read here an overview of the march, why they marched happened, what happened during the march, and the consequences from the march.
Read here a news report from 52 years ago describing what happen at the march.
Read here reflections 52 years later of the march from Mrs Robinson, who was left for dead. The advice of the police sheriff was to leave the bodies “for the buzzards to eat.” At the bottom of this link is a movie trailer of Selma.
Here is a popular song about the event.
1. In the song above, one of the passages is "saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle." What is meant by that?
2. Another passage from the song is "The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful." What is meant by that? What is your point of view of that approach?
3. In the news report, what comparison is made between the WW2 German troops and the Alabama State Troopers?
4. Why would the Blacks want the vote?
5. Why would the local authorities be resisting Blacks voting?
6. Why would the state troopers' treatment of Mrs Robinson eventually advance the cause of voter rights?
7. Much of the reporting of what happened at the event is by interviews, with few pictures. Why would the local authorities restrict the movement of the journalists and the people with cameras and hamper their ability to give a first hand account of what happened?
8. At the time of this march, as in much of the U.S. history, America was active in promoting freedom and justice in other parts of the world. Linking back to question 1, how would the events at Selma embarrass the United States in promoting justice and freedom?
9. Reading the news reports, people commented that the racist policies that existed in Selma were accepted because that was how things were. People were raised with those racist practices and few thought to question them till the Civil Rights Movement. Looking around at our society, what unjust practices do you see in Canada?
Read here an overview of the march, why they marched happened, what happened during the march, and the consequences from the march.
Read here a news report from 52 years ago describing what happen at the march.
Read here reflections 52 years later of the march from Mrs Robinson, who was left for dead. The advice of the police sheriff was to leave the bodies “for the buzzards to eat.” At the bottom of this link is a movie trailer of Selma.
Here is a popular song about the event.
1. In the song above, one of the passages is "saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle." What is meant by that?
2. Another passage from the song is "The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful." What is meant by that? What is your point of view of that approach?
3. In the news report, what comparison is made between the WW2 German troops and the Alabama State Troopers?
4. Why would the Blacks want the vote?
5. Why would the local authorities be resisting Blacks voting?
6. Why would the state troopers' treatment of Mrs Robinson eventually advance the cause of voter rights?
7. Much of the reporting of what happened at the event is by interviews, with few pictures. Why would the local authorities restrict the movement of the journalists and the people with cameras and hamper their ability to give a first hand account of what happened?
8. At the time of this march, as in much of the U.S. history, America was active in promoting freedom and justice in other parts of the world. Linking back to question 1, how would the events at Selma embarrass the United States in promoting justice and freedom?
9. Reading the news reports, people commented that the racist policies that existed in Selma were accepted because that was how things were. People were raised with those racist practices and few thought to question them till the Civil Rights Movement. Looking around at our society, what unjust practices do you see in Canada?
