Michigan City High School students celebrated Martin Luther King Day by witnessing the new movie Selma. On Monday morning the school's Freshman Academy and Early College students filed into the town's AMC Theater to watch the newly released film.
Selma is a film that focuses on the 4-day protest march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965 - and the weeks leading up to it. The film, directed by Ava DuVernay, features actor David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movement. Selma is a striking and stirring film, and it's no wonder why Michigan City High School decided to take the opportunity to let their students watch a film that is entirely appropriate for Martin Luther King Day.
Due to Michigan City's recent snow days, what was supposed to be a day off was now a day for school to be in session, but the day presented a perfect situation for the trip. An idea arose from MCHS' Principal Wendel McCollum to have the kids watch Selma on the day that celebrates Dr. King. From there Mr. McCollum reached out to Michigan City Area Schools Board of Trustees Vice President Marty Corley to help organize the event. Corley contacted the Human Rights Commission and the Michigan City Commission on the Social Status of African American Males to help fund the trip for students who could not afford to buy tickets. The notion of having 190 students learn about an event that's so vital to our history was something that everyone involved was eager to help with.
"Selma represents a huge part of the Civil Rights Movement, but Selma also represents change. One of the biggest things about Selma was that it was a united effort, not only amongst the African American community, but with a mixed community of different races that believed in social equality in this country." Corley explained. "It's important for the kids to know what happened in the past to let them bring those same ideals Dr. King had into the present. Hopefully the process going forward after this shows them that anything can be accomplished as long as we're doing everything together."
Jeff Deuitch, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, agreed with Corley by saying that the film was an important experience for the students.
"Showing this movie to our students really helps them realize the idea of equality because the younger we start teaching them the more it hits home," Deuitch explained. "I hope that when the kids see this movie that it changes the minds of a couple of them; to push them to continue their high school education, to go onto college, and to continue on a great path. If this movie does any bit of that it was well worth it."
When the students had time to collect their thoughts it was obvious that the goal of this trip was met. Lamar Wright and Amaya Jones thoroughly got the message of the film, and the reasoning behind the organizations that made it possible.
"It was heartbreaking. With all of the violence on the bridge and the people who died because of being there was awful," Jones declared. "I didn't realize that happened. Even after then he never gave up. I think it's an important film to go see."
Wright agreed.
"If Martin Luther King wasn't there to do what he had to, what would it be like now?" Wright asked pointedly.
He continued, "If more people were like Dr. King there'd be less violence and more peace. We'd have less arguments and more people would get along and be friends. I believe people should think more like him. Selma showed why that's important."
All in all, Selma, and the kids who watched it, showed an incredible amount appreciation for a man who strived to better the lives of so many who lived in a constant state of injustice. Maybe in the future some of the kids in Michigan City will express the ideals that they saw in Selma, and keep the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. alive - and if they do that, Monday morning had more of an impact than anyone can ask for.