Generous Donors Continue To Help Students See “Selma”

The movie Selma may have been snubbed by the Academy, with only two Oscar nominations, but many students across the country will have a chance to see the film at no cost. This opportunity is due to the generosity of many local and national donors who want young people to see this well made movie about a critical point during the Civil Rights movement. Noted by many to be the first movie to center on the life of Martin Luther King, the film details a point in history when King, along with others, was organizing a march from Selma Alabama to Birmingham. The effort was to bring national attention to the fact that black people still didn’t have the ability to exercise to their democratic rights. And while controversy continues to surround the film for various reasons, the bottom line is the movie presents its subject matter in a way that provides a positive example of the force of peaceful demonstrations.

The free movie offer began in New York City after 27 African-American business leaders created a fund that allowed 27,000 middle-school students to see the movie. The original idea worked so well that the tickets were gone after the first weekend. Pockets were opened further and the program expanded to 75,000 tickets in NYC. From there many other cities have put together similar efforts. For a complete list of locations go to this page on the film’s official website.