Good Evening and Welcome to the St. Luke’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his profoundly courageous life.  My name is Bruce Weaver and I’d like to ask Fr. Francis to bless our activity tonight with a prayer.   

 

We are honored that you came to join is in viewing the move Selma.  We have a small group called the St. Luke’s Multicultural Committee who are your hosts this evening.   The have the yellow shirts on.  We are always looking for new members.   I would also like to thank the Ladies Club for providing some tasty desserts.   Please don’t hesitate to get up at any time to stretch your legs or get some dessert or coffee or use the restroom.   

 

We’re watching the movie Selma tonight.   It’s a good movie with many good actors you will recognize.   So Why Selma?  To understand Why Selma we have to go back in history to 1865 and the “Reconstruction Amendments”

 

Amendments 13,14 and 15th amendments to the constitution of the United States are:  

 

1865 13th Amendment – Abolished Slavery (except as punishment for a crime)

  

1868    14th Amendment – Granted Citizenship and Equal protection to born or naturalized citizens to the United States.  

 

       1870  15th Amendment- granted the right to vote for all male citizens.

 

So, if people had the right to vote granted by the three reconstruction amendments why did they have to March in Selma?  (ask group)  That’s right.  Local registrars were making it impossible with tests, vouching, threats of harm, losing jobs, and other means.  This was supported by all of local governments.   Let me show you a graph of what happened to black legislators between reconstruction and then what happened after the voters rights act in 1965.  This shows voter suppression and how it changed.  

 

We’ll have time for a few comments after.   Enjoy the movie.