Wow

1. S E L M A
one man’s march to freedom

3. WHAT HAPPENED
● King met with President after winning the Nobel Peace Prize
● King told Johnson to enact voting-rights legislation in the south
● Johnson said no - because of Congress
“You have one problem. I have 101.”
● Johnson, four days before the meeting, started drafting a voting rights bill
● After a man’s death, King started lecturing Johnson about the need for a civil rights
bill immediately. Johnson was already finalizing legislation at this time.

4. CONCLUSION
Selma dramatized the relations between King and Johnson - making Johnson an antagonist
in the film
Selma tried to make the audience believe it was King’s speech that was the ultimate factor in
igniting the voting-rights movement - Sike, the violent response to Selma’s speech
accelerated the White House’s timetable for pushing voting rights legislation
The Voting Rights act was not a solo effort by King, it was heavily championed by President
Johnson against a split congress