A milestone in the USA history of equal rights.

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2015)

I watched this on DVD from my public library. In 1964 and 1965, when this story takes place, I was a college student in Louisiana. Today 50 years later I don't recall anything specific about the march from Selma to the capitol about 50 miles away. But I do recall there being some racial tensions in some parts. Where I lived there were none that I was aware of. However it was accepted that blacks had separate entrances to businesses, separate rest rooms, and such things as seating in a designated section in movie houses. It was terrible discrimination but we grew up with it and didn't realize it was a wrong that needed to be righted.
The main issue was voting rights in the movie 'Selma'. Even though blacks were freed and slavery abolished long before, their ability to vote was being negated in Alabama because they were not allowed to freely register to vote. If you can't vote then you are not represented and the parties in power can treat you badly because they know you can't vote them out. Plus the governor of Alabama, racist George Wallace, tolerated this illegal treatment.
In what I consider an award-quality performance David Oyelowo becomes Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. He was a young man (in his 30s) with wisdom and a vision, and he advocated non-violent protest. He also appealed directly to the president, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, who had his hands full with the Viet Nam war. But King was persistent, finally forcing Johnson's hand when national news footage of the beatings made the whole world take note.
It is of historical record that Johnson then upped his priority, pushed through a voting rights act, and it was the beginning of a new era for blacks' influence, and a black (well, half black) president was elected in 2008 then reelected in 2012. We certainly would not have made such progress had King not been there to lead the effort.
Good movie. Hard to watch in some scenes, but a good movie.