Selma Page #2

A lot of groundwork has already

been laid by the people here.

And they ready.

- Sister Boynton.

- Mr. Orange.

Good afternoon.

Dr. King?

May I introduce myself?

Yeah, of course.

Hey!

It's okay. It's okay. I'm okay.

This way, Dr. King.

That white boy can hit.

This place is perfect.

What's the FBI's current information

on Martin Luther King?

I heard he was assaulted in Selma.

My information can be

summed up in a few words.

King is a political and moral degenerate.

Well, you say that, J. Edgar.

I have to take it seriously.

But if he's a degenerate,

what I do know is,

he's a non-violent degenerate.

And I want him to go on leading

the civil rights movement,

not one of these bloodthirsty militants.

What I need to know right now is

what's he about to do next?

Mr. President,

you know we can

shut men with power down

permanently and unequivocally.

I'm very aware of that, Mr. Director.

Well, if you prefer a different approach,

we can go with the wife.

We know there's tension

in the home already.

We can weaken the dynamic.

Dismantle the family.

Hello.

You ain't got long.

When the hearts of those Pickaninnies

of yours stop beating...

Same thing?

When are you all heading out?

We're heading back to Selma

at 5:
00 a.m.

It turned out to be

an ideal staging ground.

There's a full couple of weeks planned.

Quite a bit to be done.

I see.

That highway is nice now.

Get you there in a couple of hours.

Good people in those parts though.

Well...

I'm worried about the ones

who ain't so good.

This local Sheriff Jim Clark

is supposed to be bad business.

Won't go down without a fight, they say.

And since we don't fight...

Well...

As good a place to die as any, I guess.

I wish you wouldn't talk like that.

It just takes the edge off.

You and your friends

can joke about that.

I don't joke about that.

You're right. I'm sorry.

I'll put these things away

in your bag now.

I didn't realize

you were leaving so early.

Hello?

Halie?

Martin.

I need to hear the Lord's voice.

Surely, Martin. Surely.

Precious Lord

Take my hand

Lead me home

Let me stand

I am tired

I am weak

I am worn

Through the storm

Through the night

Lord, lead me on

To the light

- Hey!

- Hey!

- Sully.

- Look at you.

- Morning, Doctor.

- Good morning, Doctor.

- Drive all right?

- Good and long.

Good news is Richie Jean is in there.

Oh, she's ready for you.

Negro, that's all you had to say.

Uncle Marty!

There she is! There's our girl!

Hey, Richie Jean!

- Looking like her mom.

- You go play.

- Hey!

- Hey, Ralphy.

- How you doing?

- Hey!

Good to see you, sweetheart.

Hey, come over here.

Oh, Lord, it's good to see this!

Okay, now, I've got the grits

on the stove.

How many we expecting today?

Well, now, Sister Jackson.

You know about our group,

the SCLC, right?

The Southern Christian

Leadership Conference?

A few of our top SCLC leaders

are with us this time

since we're going to be here

a little longer than expected.

Now, this here's Reverend C.T. Vivian.

He coordinates all the SCLC branches.

Welcome. Nice to meet you.

Welcome, welcome.

This is Reverend James Bevel.

- How you doing, ma'am?

- I'm well. Thank you.

This here is James Orange.

Oh, this is a big one.

I don't know if I've got enough

to feed you.

Well, let's find out. How about that?

Hey!

Now, you got two of them

named James.

Oh, you can call me Jim, Sister.

And Orange is fine with me, ma'am.

Or Big Fellow!

All right. Well, this is fine with me.

Mrs. Jackson. Hosea Williams.

Or Castro!

Oh, yeah, that's a long story.

Those grits, they need some stirring.

Mind?

You put your foot in it now.

Ain't you supposed to be on a diet?

Somebody call Juanita.

- There's a phone!

- Hey, get off that phone.

Juanita?

Don't do it, Doc. Don't do it...

Turning in, Doc. You okay?

Yes, sir. Good night to you.

I wanted to tell you that

the students are in town.

Local students?

Oh, no.

The Student Non-Violent

Coordinating Committee.

Okay. Our young friends at SNCC.

Good to know.

You the one told them to organize.

Took it to heart.

Don't be surprised

if they don't give us grief tomorrow.

Town folk may be happy to see us.

But SNCC?

They feel we're in their territory.

They're young and full of spirit.

Not a bad thing.

It'll sort out.

Good night.

Good night.

"Boycotting the buses in Montgomery.

"Segregation in Birmingham."

Boycotting the buses in Montgomery.

Segregation in Birmingham.

Now? Voting in Selma.

One struggle ends just to go

right to the next and the next.

If you think of it that way,

it's a hard road.

But I don't think of it that way.

I think of these efforts as one effort.

And that one effort is for our life.

Our life as a community.

Our life as a nation.

For our lives.

We can do this.

We must do this!

We see children

become victims of one

of the most vicious crimes

ever perpetrated against humanity

within the walls of their own church!

They are sainted now.

They are the sainted ones

in this quest for freedom.

And they speak to us still.

They say to us, to all of us,

all colors and creeds,

that we must do this.

They say to us that it is unacceptable

for more than 50% of Selma to be Negro

and yet less than 2% of Negroes here

being able to vote

and determine their own destiny

as human beings.

They say to us that

the local white leadership

use their power to

keep us away from the ballot box

and keep us voiceless.

As long as I am unable to exercise

my constitutional right to vote,

I do not have command of my own life.

I cannot determine my own destiny

for it is determined for me

by people who would rather

see me suffer than succeed.

Those that have gone before us say,

"No more!"

No more! No more!

No more!

That means protest, that means march,

that means disturb the peace,

that means jail,

that means risk! And that is hard!

We will not wait any longer.

Give us the vote!

That's right! No more!

We're not asking. We're demanding.

Give us the vote!

Give us the vote!

Dr. King.

Roy Reed of The New York Times.

Yes. Hello to you. How are you?

I'm well, sir. Thank you for asking.

Dr. King, are you truly non-violent

if you are provoking violence, sir?

We are here,

using our very bodies in protest

- to say to those who deny us...

- Dr. King. Dr. King.

Pleasure, sir.

...that we will no longer let them

use their billy clubs

in dark corners and halls of power.

We make them do it

in the glaring light of day, Mr. Reed.

Is SNCC standing with us

on this or not, gentlemen?

You want us to bring our people in,

but you're not giving anything in return.

Now we are asking

for some kind of commitment here.

Respectfully speaking, of course,

we've been handling

the voter registration

in this town now for two years.

Well, you haven't gotten very far,

have you?

Well, maybe not, Reverend.

But we're still here.

Meaning what?

This time next month, you won't be!

- That's insanity!

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