In February we will have three forums focused on the Civil Rights movement, on February 3rd, 17th, and 24th. We will watch and discuss the films described below. All of the films are produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center. All forums will take place in the Friendship Room at 11:30am.
February 3rd: A Time for Justice
In A Time for Justice, four-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim captured the spirit of the civil rights movement through historical footage and the voices of those who participated in the struggle. Narrated by Julian Bond and featuring John Lewis, the 38-minute film allows today’s generation of students to witness firsthand the movement’s most dramatic moments—the bus boycott in Montgomery, the school crisis in Little Rock, the violence in Birmingham and the triumphant 1965 march for voting rights.
February 17th: The Children’s March
The Children’s March tells the story of how the young people of Birmingham, Alabama, braved fire hoses and police dogs in 1963 and brought segregation to its knees. Their heroism complements discussions about the ability of today’s young people to be catalysts for positive social change.
February 24th: Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot
On March 7, 1965, 600 civil rights activists left Selma, Alabama, on foot, marching for dignity and equality. Eighteen days, 54 miles, one police attack, 1,900 National Guard troops, 2,000 U.S. Army soldiers and countless stories later, they arrived in Montgomery—and changed history. This film tells the story of a courageous group of students and teachers who, along with other activists, fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South. Standing in their way: a century of Jim Crow, a resistant and segregationist state, and a federal government slow to fully embrace equality. By organizing and marching bravely in the face of intimidation, violence, arrest and even murder, these change-makers achieved one of the most significant victories of the civil rights era.