Lyndon B. Johnson And The Voting Rights Act

Selma is a historical drama film following the 1965 marches for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery. The film shows how men of color were being discriminated against and racially segregated in certain areas despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it difficult for black citizens to vote. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other SCLC activists led several marches after the president, Lyndon B. Johnson, denied King’s requests to allow black citizens to vote with no difficulties. The first march from Selma to Montgomery was on the 7th of March 1965 with an estimated 600 civil rights protesters. Just before passing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were interrupted by state troopers and were attacked, driving them back to the Brown Chapel where the injured would eventually be treated. Two days later the incident that happened on the first march from Selma to Montgomery, activists from other places came to Alabama to join the second march. The marchers were again confronted by the state troopers, but made way for the marchers which startled King, eventually making him lead his marchers back to the chapel. Afterward, a minister from Boston, James Reeb, was murdered by a group of white men at night. This news resulted in the protesters and Selma marchers to demand protection in which George Wallace, the governor, denied. The president, however, accepted the request, leading to the third and last march. The march from Selma to Montgomery took 5 days in total, not including the first two attempts. In spite of King’s several failed attempts to talk to the president about black voting rights and the marches that led to violence, the Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965.

You may notice that there were many tactics used in the film in order to discourage African Americans from voting; for instance, registering to vote was fairly easy but because of discrimination and racism, it made it difficult for black citizens to vote. White leaders and government workers use their power to belittle minorities, predominantly, black citizens. Annie Lee Cooper tried to register to vote but the white registrar’s intention of denying Annie was clear that he even made her recite the Constitution’s Preamble and the names of the sixty-seven judges in Alabama. Apart from this, when the federal employees found that they couldn’t put an end to the black citizen’s protests, they turned to a violent strategy to try and shut the people up. The act of injustice and inhumanity is clearly present by simply trying to deny someone their rights just because of their skin color or race. When authorities used violence against the unarmed black citizens, they took it lightly when it’s clear that it was a hate crime. There are many more tactics used, not only to deter black citizens from voting but also to try and stop the movement. When FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover, and President Johnson heard that King was trying to create a movement to convince them to allow black citizens to vote, the FBI director and the president discussed targeting King’s marriage so they could stop the movement—in which they failed.

As a Constitutional Right, the 5th amendment rules out double jeopardy and offers protection against self-incrimination. In the movie, when the state troopers assaulted the marchers, killing Jimmie Lee Jackson in the process, they did nothing at first because of discrimination, for he was a black man. Regardless, the trooper got sentenced to 6 months in prison in 2007. They got away with murdering two individuals throughout the duration of the voting rights demonstration because of discrimination. The crimes that were committed during this movement was obviously a hate crime and no one did anything about it. They went to trial when a white man, Reverend James Reeb, was murdered by a white segregationist but all they got was permission to continue their Selma to Montgomery march and not one of the three murderers of James Reeb got convicted.

George Wallace was the 45th governor of Alabama in the duration of the voting rights march for black suffrage. Governor Wallace was a prominent part of the movie, him being an antagonist towards King and the voting rights movement. When George came to talk to the president, convincing him to put a stop to the dispute for the right to vote, he made a clear point about not caring what the future generations will think about him for not making a positive move about this subject. George also showed a level of distaste upon the different races as he is known for a notable line in his speech “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” (1963 Inaugural Address). He didn’t contribute much in the film except to disagree with King, the movement, as well as the president. Another character that played an important role was the president, Lyndon B. Johnson. It’s quite obvious that Lyndon B. Johnson’s role is especially needed, the reason being is that he has the authority to sign the federal legislation that King was requesting since he is the president at the time. Even though he delayed King’s requests several times, he, later on, realized that he should do what’s right for the people and for his image. He also had an FBI director to keep a watch on King and came up with the idea to “weaken the dynamic. Dismantle the family.” (J. Edgar Hoover, FBI director).

As the leader of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and the other SCLC, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, activists played a conspicuous part throughout the movie. Without these people, there would’ve never been a movement for voting rights and black citizens from the south would still be deprived of their rights. Martin was a Christian minister, preaching to his fellow black men. He stood steadfast with his comrades to march for what they know is right for their people. He fulfilled his part to request multiple times for federal legislation allowing black citizens to vote unburdened, to no avail.

Voter suppression is currently practiced by various states, mainly in the south where there has been a history of voting deprivation. “In 2013, the supreme court declared that racism was essentially a thing of the past and gutted the Voting Rights Act.” (Carol Anderson, The Guardian). Some states in the south require voters to present a government-issued ID in order for them to be permitted to vote. Citizens that got kicked out of the voting roll were mostly minorities, the poor, and other races. This effort to take out people of color out of the voting roll dates back to the start of the voting rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960. Obviously, the movement didn’t take a toll on discrimination and racism as it is still going on today.