7.3.3

What role did the media, particularly television, play in the events portrayed in Selma (and the broader Civil Rights Movement)?

By reporting on the events, and airing footage of police repression on television, the media galvanized public opinion in favor of the Civil Rights movement

The film Selma reminds us that the most important part of the Civil Rights Movement were the speeches made by Martin Luther King, Jr.

False

Thinking as a political sociologist, what do you think is the lesson from Selma for contemporary groups, such as Black Lives Matter?

That disruptive (but peaceful) protests should be combined with other strategies, such as working through the courts and lobbying political leaders

All of the following accurately describes the march on Selma, EXCEPT:

The march on Selma was a spontaneous event that emerged as a reaction to the violent refusal to allow African-Americans to register to vote at the county courthouse.

Although the Civil Rights protesters had committed themselves to non-violence, they invited violence from their opponents as a tactic to demonstrate their moral superiority and the justice of their cause.

True

The events depicted in Selma show that MLK and the other leaders ____.

combined "outsider" and "insider" political strategies

Someone using resource mobilization theory to analyze the events depicted in Selma would ____.

focus on the strategic choices made by the movement's leaders, as well as how they mobilized resources like churches, local organizations, and the media

The film Selma depicts many members of the various groups involved in organizing the march on Selma often arguing about different tactics. Janet Vertesi points out that the film does this in order to ____.

show that successful social movement involve difficult strategic choices, often including many different coordinated strategies

Through use of lighting and other visual cues, the film Selma juxtaposes "public" and "private" spaces in ways that ____.

show that white characters had greater access to "public" spaces than African-American characters do

The film Selma focuses on the story of ____.

the 1965 march to the Alabama capital to demand voting rights for African-Americans