Murphy 1

Martha Murphy

Professor McLaughlin

Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric

2 March 2015

Leadership, Collaboration and Symbolism Portrayed in Selma

The Civil Rights Movement occupied a grim time in our country’s history when African

Americans faced harsh segregation, unequal rights, and countless forms of oppression. Selma,

directed by Ava DuVernay, is a very inspiring account of Martin Luther King Jr.’s peaceful

battle for the equal voting rights of African American citizens. While Dr. King was the leading

activist in the Civil Rights movement, countless other characters in the film emerged as symbolic

leaders on account of their actions concerning the legendary march from Selma to Montgomery,

Alabama in 1965. The supporting characters the director chose to highlight in the film all

contribute to the momentum of this powerful movement for African American equality. Selma

carefully constructs pivotal characters to symbolically represent the injustice, prejudice, and

ceaseless violent opposition that African Americans endured in order to persuade a contemporary

audience to see the Civil Rights Movement in a new light. These characters the film chose to

portray function as symbolic counterparts to Martin Luther King Jr., and their actions

intentionally represent similar actions of the countless others who contributed to the

advancement of the movement.

In addition to Dr. King, the film focuses on other characters’ roles which each contribute

in their own way to the success of the Selma march. The filmmakers intentionally highlight these

characters’ hardship and selfless actions in order to create a strong representation of the

motivation and sacrifice behind the events portrayed in the film. For example, Annie Lee Cooper

Murphy 2

symbolizes the unfairness behind voter registration in the south, and her character’s storyline

shows why voter registration was such a controversial problem. Cooper attempts to register to

vote on multiple occasions despite being discriminated by the voting registration clerk. The

prejudiced remarks of the clerk do not sway Ms. Cooper’s persistence, and she calmly answers “I

ain’t starring no fuss, I’m just here trying to register to vote”. Annie Lee Cooper’s calm

response, similar to approaches used by Dr. King, frustrates the clerk. However, since she did not

lose her temper, the clerk had to listen to her intentions. Although Ms. Cooper was eventually

prevented from registering to vote because of the clerk’s biased and unfair examination, her act

of non-violent resistance shown in the film symbolized a start to a unified movement against

biased voting restrictions. In An Overview of Rhetoric, Herrick writes that “In rhetoric, we find

people acting symbolically in response to their own motives” (10). Annie Lee Cooper’s motive

was the desire to vote, and by her courageous actions, she made herself a symbol of resistance to

any barriers that the government put in her way. Her character is one of the many leaders in this

movement who stood up against injustice and overcame the cruel voting discrimination present

in the south at this time.

Additionally, the character of Jimmy Lee Jackson and his murder was symbolically

crucial in the advancement of the Selma march. The unofficial “night march”, tipped off to

Governor George Wallace the night before, was another attempt King’s supporters made at a

peaceful protest. Upon hearing about this march, Wallace remarks, “so King’s out of town, fewer

cameras, and at night. Find a reason to send us in there and get some black bastards”. Since Dr.

King would not be present at this particular march, there would be less media coverage, so

Wallace decides that his police force can get away with using violent resistance against the

marchers without suffering any consequences. The dimly lit scene, harsh images of silhouettes

Murphy 3

being beaten in the street, and the somber choice of music all work to set the mood of the tragic

event that is about to unfold. In “The Practices of Looking”, NYU and UCSD professors Marita

Sturken and Lisa Cartwright note that “we live in cultures that are increasingly permeated by

visual images with a variety of purposes and intended effects” (10). The visual images and

effects of this scene make the audience easily sympathize with Jackson and his heroic actions to

protect his sister and father from the brutal police force. At the end of the march, Jimmy Lee

Jackson paid for his rights with his life, and the audience is emotionally scarred by his

symbolically unjustifiable murder. The murder of Jimmy Lee Jackson symbolizes the violent

struggle for equality that was ongoing throughout the Civil Rights Movement. He is one

representation of the many unjustifiable murders that occurred during this fight for equal rights.

The film portrays Jackson as a leader because he was passionate about the cause, and he

protected his family by pulling them off the street and into a restaurant to hide from the police.

His selfless efforts and untimely death served as a symbol of the violence directed at African

Americans during this era, as well as the intensified need for immediate action.

The actions of Martin Luther King Jr., his inspiring speeches and unifying manner often

seen unattainable by the everyday citizen. However, Selma works to symbolically humanize him

so that the actions of other character’s become noticed. Because King is no longer the focal point

of the film, the audience is able to view a representation of the Civil Rights Movement that is

centered around the movement, and not just Martin Luther King himself. The Selma march was

about a group of people working together, not about just one person directing the actions of

others. Martin Luther King had extraordinary drive, and he motivated others to take part in the

movement. He led by example and inspired others to follow him. He empowered people, such as

Annie Lee Cooper or Jimmy Lee Jackson, and gave them the confidence to follow his examples

Murphy 4

of civil disobedience. These characters, motivated by King, are also shown as leaders because

they were willing to stand up and join him.

Throughout the film, Dr. King is seen as vulnerable, which makes the audience realize

that this prominent, influential figure has also known struggle and fear. Quick shots of him

playing with his children, shaving, and struggling to write his speeches all work to slightly

mortalize him. The filmmakers of Selma paint a picture of King not only as a world-renowned

Civil Rights activist, but also as a father, husband, and fellow contributor to the Selma March

movement. Without explicitly telling the audience that King takes on multiple roles, the viewer

can infer that King has many other responsibilities. Scenes with Coretta Scott King and Dr. King

discussing plans for the march or listening to messages subtly show the strain this movement has

on their marriage. Coretta has reason to worry about the safety of her husband and children. On

multiple occasions, her children’s lives are threatened and she does not know if her husband will

make it home at night. She remarks that she feels “in the dark” and can’t see beyond a thick fog

of uncertainty. In a moment of desperation, Coretta asks her husband, “How long will it go on?”

The viewer realizes that Martin Luther King was not the only one who had to sacrifice for this

movement. These scenes make his character more relatable to the viewer, and although this man

was very influential, he was at the same time part of a much larger movement.

Through witnessing King’s vulnerability, the actions of other characters who demonstrate

acts of leadership become more credible and amplified. As stated in “An Overview of Rhetoric”,

Herrick remarks that “rhetoric is also a form of psychological power, that is, the power to shape

the thinking of other people” (19). The characters in the film constitute the kind of symbolic

expression Herrick discusses because the audience can perceive their storylines as credible, as

well as relatable to hundreds of other African Americans who endured the same hardships.

Murphy 5

Nevertheless, Civil Rights enthusiasts may say that the film’s rhetoric does not convince

them to see the Civil Rights Movement from a new perspective. A contemporary audience might

not agree with my claim that the actions of significant characters like King, Cooper, and Jackson

were intentionally shown to exemplify the larger themes of inequity I believe they symbolize.

However, I believe Selma highlights events in the Civil Rights Movement that are often

overshadowed by more renowned incidences. The events portrayed in Selma show the audience

that Martin Luther King needed many other passionate, courageous people, like Cooper and

Jackson, to stand with him. Additionally, I believe the filmmakers chose to frame these

characters in the way that they did in order to display examples the harsh actions and bias

attitudes directed at African Americans in this period in history.

A movement takes many dedicated people working together for a common goal. As Dr.

King spoke and wrote, James A. Herrick says, “his ideas were expressed, tested, and either

embraced or rejected. Those who embraced his ideas became part of a larger community that

King was gradually building” (23). King did not force his beliefs on anyone, but rather motivated

people to fully devote themselves to the cause, and that is why the King was so successful in

leading this movement. King would not have made an impact on our country without people to

support him, and I think this movie does an excellent job of showing that. Selma highlights the

additional leaders in the movement, such as Annie Lee Cooper and Jimmy Lee Jackson, who

would be merely supportive characters in other historical films. This example of reframing,

similar to Lancioni’s discussion, states that “reframing is often used to provide close-ups of

individuals barely noticeable in the original work” (106). The filmmakers reframed the

background characters of the film and made them more critical to the film’s overall message.

Murphy 6

Selma shows that King, as previously mentioned, did not fight alone. To my

understanding, it was extremely crucial and intentional that Selma was not a movie focused on

the life and work of Martin Luther King. Rather, the film had a larger symbolic purpose of

informing viewers of the larger Selma march movement as a communal effort. King was just one

of the many hands in this half century long fight towards equality. There were many other

characters who represented larger ideas of social protest and non-violent resistance who unified

the movement towards voting equality. This portrayal of the march from Selma to Montgomery

was merely a snapshot in the history of the Civil Rights Movement, yet it also was a very

important stepping stone for the entire African American community in working towards

achieving equality.

Murphy 7

Works Cited Page

Herrick, James A. An Overview of Rhetoric. Boston: Pearson Education, 2005. Print.

Lancioni, Judith. “The Rhetoric of the Frame: Revisioning Archival Photographs in The Civil

War” Western Journal of Communication, 1996. Print.

Selma. Dir. Ava DuVernay. Cloud Eight Films, 2014. Film.

Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. The Practices of Looking. Oxford: Oxford University Press,

2009. Print.