Taking A Trip Back in History...to "Selma"*

Bringing certain historical events to the Hollywood screen can have a spellbinding, lingering effect. The historical drama Selma does just that for audiences. The candid film witnesses Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights, while it simultaneously chronicles a significant chapter in American History, the epic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Here is a film that is very difficult to expound in a few words, considering the obvious affect that it will have on viewers. Certainly, many historical films are tough to appreciate, especially when one already knows the story and the eventual outcome. As far back as we can remember, we have read, heard, taught, and maybe even experienced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts. There are numerous hours of footage and countless recounts of his modus operandi and the volumes of writings that give insight into his mind. This film is exceptional for examining deeper than King the dreamer, and providing an understanding of his humanity as a man.

Selma is possibly one of the most powerful films ever made regarding the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Sundance-winner and Golden Globe nominated director Ava DuVernay does an incredible job of capturing, what she refers to as, "small moments" that permit you to connect to King’s character on an intimate level. At the screening I attended, DuVernay spoke to these moments saying, "I knew that by doing a movie on King, we would have to do speeches, and early on I obsessed about the speeches. However, when I got on set, I began to focus on how to best capture the small moments that showed King's humanity." The film’s timeline was brilliantly constructed, neither exaggerating how much of King's life viewers needed to see, nor exhausting the moments.

As worthy a film as it is, "Selma" is not unblemished. For example, painting the relationship between King and LBJ as borderline confrontational. However, this may have had the purpose of making a point about the devastating, in many cases fatal, struggles and inequalities African Americans faced during the 1960s. Screenwriter Paul Webb and director Ava DuVernay present Dr. King as a fully rounded individual, even including his flaws, something rarely done when discussing King. Additionally, the majority of "Selma" points to of Dr. King’ strategies and adversities during the crusade.

One of the strong points towards the film’s credit is the cast, and their ability to showcase these amazing historical figures. The audience gets a front-row seat in the mind of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (played by David Oyelowo, Lincoln and Jack Reacher), watching him work during this tumultuous time. Early on, Oyelowo is somewhat inconsistent in playing King, but as the film progresses, he visually and figuratively transforms and elevates the role to another level. We witness a spirited and vulnerable King unfolding. By the close of the film, his performance is so strong, were Oyelowo not actually shown on the screen, one might not be able to identify whether it was Oyelowo or an old recording of King himself. Additionally, Carmen Ejogo (Sparkle, The Purge: Anarchy), offers a beautiful performance portraying Coretta Scott King with such depth and honesty that she's hard to overlook. Ejogo's performance is truly memorable.

Selma highlights other key figures, particularly women, from the Selma marches and the civil rights movement as a whole. For example, Amelia Boynton (played by Lorraine Toussaint “Orange is the New Black”) took part in the early activism and black voter registration drives in Selma, Alabama, and was part of the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma. Another key figure was Diane Nash (played by Tessa Thompson, Dear White People), a bright, fearless leader and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Audiences also witness the work and diligence of other leaders close to MLK such James Bevel (played by Common, American Gangster), 1963 March on Washington, organizer and key leader in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement. Other leaders and key players portrayed in the film included Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, Annie Lee Cooper, Hosea Williams, Bayard Rustin, John Lewis, and James Forman. By acknowledging these other leaders, the film shows viewers the numerous angles and thought-processes that happened during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Whether it is in films, daily conversations, and/or in the classroom often times certain leaders overshadow others who played just as much a role in these monumental moments. Overall, the selection of key figures that are portrayed in the film, and the casting of actors/actresses playing them, is very exceptional.

While the screenplay is solid and eloquent though not gut-wrenching, DuVernay's direction is impressive, with sharp cinematography and editing. The gifted cast shine, showing us vivid, detailed accounts of this significant historical event through each scene of the film. Viewers should take note that this is not a Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic film, but more a film replaying the events leading up to and during the march in Selma. Freshman writer Paul Webb does a pleasing job of making this film “family friendly,” considering the sensitive nature of the subject. Leaving this film, your heart and soul cannot escape emotional impact. Think of watching Selma like engaging in a powerful, cinematic history lesson.

*As seen in The Berkeley Graduate

New Documentary Alert: “Invisible Universe: A History of Blackness in Speculative Fiction”

Utopian Fiction…What is, “Speculative Fiction?”…Who is part of the Science Fiction world?...What does it mean to be a “Second Class Citizen”?…A voyage into a fantastical world…

To answer some of those questions and expound on the above ideas, filmmaker and producer M. Asli Dukan’s has launched her documentary “Invisible Universe: A History of Blackness in Speculative Fiction” which investigates the relationships between the Black body, popular fantasy, horror, science fiction literature & film and the alternative perspectives produced by creators of color. According to Dukan:

From the origins of the genres, images of Black people in fantasy, horror and science fiction or speculative fiction (SF) have been inauthentic at best in the imaginations of white creators. From the “Fantastic Voyages” of the 1700s where Black pirates kidnapped white explorers to far off “alien” lands, to technologically advanced futures where Black people didn’t exist in any significant population, to post-nuclear holocaust America where modern Blacks took on aggressive pre-civilized behaviors, many of these ideas have created lasting impressions in the minds of their audiences and future creators. And though there were a few attempts by some white writers to use the genres for social commentary, for instance on race relations, these efforts were few and far in between.

There is however a significant output of work by Black creators, who used the techniques and themes of the genres to write alternative stories and to produce films that spoke closer to the realities of Black life. At the turn of the 20th century, Black writers wrote utopian and fantastical novels set during the days of slavery and Reconstruction. Independent Black filmmakers created low budget feature films exploring the effects of science and fantastical religious beliefs on the Black imagination. Harlem Renaissance writers jumped into the genre with “mad scientist” and “end of the world” scenarios commenting on the American race relations. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, two powerful and original voices emerged in the SF world writing tales with more inclusive pasts, presents and futures. Also in the 1970s, Black anti-heroes utilized science and the supernatural to secure Black justice. And later, there was the emergence of Black superheroes, who, though ready, willing and able to save the entire universe, first had to fight a homogenous industry.

This 10-year project brings these ideas to life through extensive footage, which features interviews with major writers, scholars, artists and filmmakers (i.e. Samuel R. Delaney, LA Banks, Tananarive Due, Nichelle Nichols, Wesley Snipes). The documentary also explores various mediums such as comics, literature, film, and television by deconstructing stereotypical and archetypal images of people of color (primarily Black) within these genres. Dukan has traveled across the country documenting key conferences, conventions, panels, performances and other events of Black SF at The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention and The Afrofuturist Affair in Philadelphia, the AstroBlackness colloquium in Los Angeles, the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture in Atlanta, The Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas in Seattle, and New York Comic Con and Comic-Con International in San Diego. Essentially, “Invisible Universe” ultimately uncovers how Black and other individuals of color have been minimized and even erased within “popular” Sci-Fi culture, thus as a result of this consciously creating their own universe.

Dukan explains much of her dedication and efforts for this highly anticipated documentary project with a few words from the late, great Black science fiction writer Octavia Butler, “ I was trying to write myself in.” And Dukan does just that with “The Invisible Universe” documentary.

So if you would like to learn more and support the campaign check out the link HERE .

Check out the trailer here:

Invisible Universe trailer (Documentary feature work-in-progress) from Mizan Media on Vimeo.

As posted in The Berkeley Graduate

Going Against the Grain with a Purpose: Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Long before Martin Luther King, Jr. became a national figure, Bayard Rustin routinely put his body—and his life –on the line as a crusader for racial justice. Rustin’s commitment to pacifism and his visionary advocacy of Gandhian nonviolence made him a pioneer in the 1940s, and captured King’s imagination in the 1950s. In 1963, with more than 20 years of organizing experience behind him, Rustin brought his unique skills to the crowning glory of his civil rights career: his work organizing the historic March on Washington, the biggest protest America had ever witnessed. –PBS.org/POV

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin is a truly inspirational film highlighting the life of Bayard Rustin, one of the most important and influential Civil Rights activists. Rustin was not only African American in a time of segregation, but he was also unapologetically gay.[i] However, Rustin’s open homosexuality forced him to remain in the background, marking him repeatedly as a “brother outsider.” Directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, Brother Outsider was part of the 15th anniversary season of the POV (documentaries with a point of view) series, which runs on PBS. 

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin was determined to increase  tolerance and seek social justice  through non-violent approaches. In fact, the viewer learns that Rustin was brought in to further tutor King in non-violent strategies. His acumen helped the Civil Rights Movement to gain great momentum that it finally developed. His work organizing the 1965 March on Washington was one of the largest protests America had ever seen. Directors Kates and Singer are able to capture the full scope of Rustin’s complex, 60-year career as an activist, advisor, and public advocate via this award-winning documentary. Using archival material would serve as a bonus for the film as it added to the overall success of the documentary, and allowed us to see Rustin in action. The controversial topics in this film, which include his sexuality, his politics, her personal values and beliefs all make for an intriguing and captivating documentary film.

Kates and Singer uses Rustin’s extensive FBI records as a method of narration. Other rare archival footage includes ardent debates between Rustin and such highly politicized figures as Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and Malcolm X. Also in the documentary we are able to see the Rustin in the later years as he continued to champion human rights including gay rights in campaigns around the globe. As King’s aide and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young recalls in the film, “His commitment to justice was always very strong and very consistent. It was easier when he had allies like Martin Luther King and A. Philip Randolph, but when they were gone, he didn’t stop.”
All in all, Brother Outsider is a great first step in getting familiar with the late Bayard Rustin.
It is an important documentary that informs and acknowledges one of the great leaders of the civil rights who has often been overlooked and overshadowed by some of the other more prominent figures. “Bayard Rustin was an extraordinary American who’s been slighted in the historical record because he was gay,” says filmmaker Nancy Kates. Both Kates and Singer make great efforts and successfully correct the record, but also examine Rustin’s amazing life and how he taught the world about issues of equity and the fight for social justice.

*Netflix subscribers, you can stream this title anytime. 

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[i] Rustin’s sexuality would be challenged on various occasions, particularly during the 1960 Democratic Convention: One of the most interesting aspects of the film highlights Rustin’s determination and unwillingness to give up. Adam Clayton Powell tried to hold Rustin’s sexuality against him during the 1960 Democratic Convention. Powell threatened to spread rumors about Rustin’s sexuality if the Civil Rights activists did not stop protesting. Martin Luther King Jr., would be made aware of this threat, but this did not scare Rustin. He maintained his stance and continued to fight for what he believed in.