After everything that has happened last year involving police brutality, Paramount Pictures teamed up with Oprah Winfrey, Pathé, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and Cloud Eight Films to release “Selma” everywhere in January.

“Selma” was directed and co-written by Ava DuVernay along with Paul Webb. This biopic of Martin Luther King, Jr. showed how discrimination was still alive even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the southern states. Because of the difficulty, African Americans had to be given the opportunity to vote, Dr. King and his followers marched to Alabama to set up shop with SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). The film focused on the untold story of their march from Selma to Montgomery, while having a “non-violence philosophy,” in order to influence President Lyndon Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Watching African Americans and other protestors as victims of police brutality really made me upset because it’s still going on; from Trayvon Martin to Mike Brown to Eric Garner and many other names that haven’t surfaced in the media. I took my frustration out by yelling at the screen.

Watching Dr. King accomplish his goal and pave the way for African American voting rights was the sweet silver lining in the movie. Many people may not know what went on during those times, but watching the struggle that Dr. King and other protestors faced along with the many trials and tribulations they had to overcome was incredibly inspiring and motivating. No matter what was thrown in his way, Martin Luther King, Jr. set goals and with God’s guidance, he achieved them and made history, which is very admirable.

While watching this movie, you see that he went through things just like we all do. He made mistakes, had people speak negatively to what he believed in and needed spiritual encouragement, but he still fought for his beliefs, rights and goals. He was a human and it shows that we can do anything we set our minds to with God’s guidance and direction. We can make history and make a change.

This film came right on time. It was very educational, and it showed all of what you don’t normally read in history books. I enjoyed everything about this movie: the cast, the directing, the music and the overall script. “Selma” was powerful. Definitely a must-see!