{"id":845,"date":"2020-06-05T12:01:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T02:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=173786"},"modified":"2020-11-01T22:58:16","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T22:58:16","slug":"selma-ava-duvernay","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/selma-ava-duvernay\/","title":{"rendered":"What We\u2019re Watching: Why It\u2019s Time We Revisit Ava DuVernay\u2019s \u201cSelma\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_173787\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-173787\" style=\"width: 840px\" class=\"wp-caption alignfull -width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-173787 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/download-2-Cropped.jpg\" alt=\"A scene from Selma \" width=\"840\" height=\"472\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-173787\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pinterest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Watching movies is a good place to start (yes, START) our education on racism. It\u2019s palatable, accessible and ahead of the <a href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/articles\/black-lives-matter-protests-australia-6-june\/\">protests around Australia tomorrow<\/a>, it might be an idea to flick on a film tonight for some added context to why we\u2019re marching tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>Today, NYC-based freelance writer Erin Van Der Meer is spotlighting Ava DuVernay\u2019s 2014 outstanding drama <em>Selma<\/em> and how it helped shape her understanding of a black person\u2019s experience in this world. Based in the Alabama city in 1965, the film follows how Martin Luther King (played by David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery to protest a black person\u2019s right to vote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntellectually I knew \u2018Bloody Sunday\u2019 \u2013 when white police officers beat and teargassed peaceful black protesters in\u00a0Selma, Alabama in 1965 \u2013 was a shameful moment in American history,\u201d writes Van Der Meer. \u201cBut when I watched\u00a0<em>Selma<\/em>, the 2014 historical drama by DuVernay (a woman of color), I had a visceral reaction \u2013 nauseated by violence, heart in my mouth for the protesters, weeping at the loss, pain and eventual triumph \u2013 that has stayed with me ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe\u00a0Selma\u00a0protest marches, spoiler alert (it was 55 years ago, if you don\u2019t know by now, that\u2019s on you) resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act, a piece of federal\u00a0legislation which prohibited racial discrimination against voters in the United States,\u201d she continues. \u201cIf you\u2019ve fallen into apathy or helplessness lately,\u00a0<em>Selma<\/em>\u00a0is worth a watch (or re-watch) in 2020 as a reminder of how everyday people can successfully fight for a more just world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Selma Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. Movie HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x6t7vVTxaic?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Just as former president <a href=\"https:\/\/icon.ink\/articles\/watch-barack-obama-virtual-town-hall-address\/\" target=\"_blank\">Barack Obama said yesterday in a town hall address to America<\/a>, \u201cremember that this country was founded on protest \u2014 it is called the American Revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span class=\"price-style\"><a href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/articles\/just-mercy-black-lives-matter-bryan-stevenson\/\">READ: <strong>WHAT WE\u2019RE WATCHING: MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX\u2019S FILM \u2018JUST MERCY\u2019 IS A GOOD PLACE TO START LEARNING<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>DuVernay has been very vocal about the current events surrounding George Floyd&#8217;s death. Her latest post really landed with me and is worth a follow.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CA_-BNil2M8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CA_-BNil2M8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\"> View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CA_-BNil2M8\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\">Usually police who murder disappear. We don\u2019t remember their names. We don\u2019t know their faces. They move from one department to another. They get paid while being investigated. And then the investigations never lead anywhere. The statistics on them being held accountable are dismal. We need to hold them accountable. We need to not let them retreat into the dark. So I\u2019ll use my page to make sure we remember these faces. And these names. These men murdered George Floyd. We cannot depend on internal police review on these matters. If we trusted the false initial police report, George Floyd would have joined millions of unjust, untried cases. We can\u2019t depend on the judicial process. If we could, more murdering officers would be imprisoned. We can only depend on ourselves. They cannot hide from our attention, our scorn. Not now. Not in the future. Not anymore.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ava\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"> Ava DuVernay<\/a> (@ava) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2020-06-04T04:19:33+00:00\">Jun 3, 2020 at 9:19pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Please be safe tomorrow. Protest peacefully.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":846,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[38,16],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.5 (Yoast SEO v20.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why It\u2019s Time We Re-Watch Ava DuVernay\u2019s Selma<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ava DuVernay&#039;s 2014 film Selma shows the power of protesting and how it can change laws and people. 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