Selma Parent Guide

Every war has its pivotal points. And the shooting of Jimmie Lee Jackson on February 18, 1965 became one of those game-changing moments in the battle for civil rights.

Jimmie (played by Keith Stanfield), his mother (Niecy Nash) and his 82-year-old grandfather (Henry G. Sanders) are among those who attempt a peaceful evening march in Selma, Alabama. When the streetlights suddenly go out, local police begin clubbing the protestors. Jimmie and his family try to take refuge in a diner but police follow them inside, shooting Jimmie in the stomach while he tries to protect his mother.

Several days after Jimmie’s death, civil rights leaders organize a march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the local rules that keep African Americans from registering to vote—something Jimmie tried to do on several occasions. Yet as the participants cross Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge they are met by armed officers and violently attack with batons and tear gas. Images of the beatings are captured by the national media and broadcast live on television, sparking an outcry across the country. (Two weeks after Bloody Sunday, as that day became known, marchers once again set out for Montgomery. After successfully completing the 5-day 54-mile walk, they try to deliver a petition to Governor George Wallace but are not allowed inside the government building.)

The movie Selma takes a close look at these events and introduces key players in the civil rights movement: Diane Nash (Tessa Thompson), Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey), James Bevel (Common), Fred Grey (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), John Lewis (Stephan James) and Malcom X (Nigel Thatch). The film also depicts behind-the-scene meetings between Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo) and U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) who are both forced to deal with long-held prejudices and the slow-moving political machine. By restricting her film’s scope to this three-month period, Director Ava DuVernay gives audiences a more focused look at the details that eventually let to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Best suited for older teens and adults, this movie portrays the often-bloody and even deadly interactions between protestors and police. Men and women are beaten repeatedly. Shots are fired and tear gas is used. As well, the script contains at least two strong sexual expletives along with other profanities, a crude hand gesture shown in some archival footage and racial slurs.

Tackling these turbulent historical events, Selma explores not only the people behind the incidents and the sacrifices they made, but also the give-and-take required to achieve change in the fight for civil rights.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.