On our bus rides yesterday, we watched a documentary about the
Civil Rights events in Selma, and we also watched part of the movie Selma. It
felt so much better to watch Selma than the documentary because, in Selma (the
movie), it seemed like Martin Luther King, Jr. could fix so many people's
problems. It was nice to have faith in him, even though I know from the
documentary and our time in Selma that King and the Civil Rights Movement were
both complicated and imperfect. For example, there was conflict between King's
followers and SNCC, even though both groups were working towards the same
goals.
I find it comforting to think of Martin Luther King, Jr. as
strong and all knowing, even if he was just another human like I am. In all the
pictures I've seen of him, he looks strong; the only exception was an unnerving
photo in the Center for Civil and Human Rights that showed King collapsed on
the ground after being shot. I've found myself wishing that King were still
alive and that we could ask him what it was like to try to be so strong.
Clara
Brill-Carlat, The Park School of Baltimore
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