Selma and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom

        A few days ago, I watched two films, Selma and Mandela:A Long Walk to Freedom, based in two different continents, yet facing similar problems. In South Africa, the majority population, black people, were considered inferior and under the power of the minority, white people. In comparison, black people in America were the minority and powerless against the majority which were white people. Both populations faced violence, death, war, and had their rights taken away from them every single day. In these two films, it shows the progress two men made and the impact that they created in order to give people a brighter future, unite a country, and restore the people their rights as a human.

         Of course, both men faced problems along the way, similarily, their family was involved which left a negative impact, they were arrested, and had to tirelessly work toward their goal despite the probability that they would fail. In both South Africa and America, people of color had no protection from police, the government, were threatned and beaten, and didn't have rights in their own country.However, Mandela and King continued to work toward their goal of an anti-apartheid regime and the success of the civil rights movement by leading protests, boycotts, and influencing others to come together and fight.Mandela fought alongside his community and continued to support the idea of an anti-apartheid governemnt even after his imprisonment of nearly three decades,eventually leading him to becoming South Africa's president and instituting a system of equalty among everyone. On the other hand, King orchestrated a powerful turning point in the civil rights movement by marching from Selma to Montgomery, despite the last march that ended with several being beaten and blood known as "Bloody Sunday", and are unharmed by the state troopers that lined the road and soon ends with a speech on rights and equality becoming a greater possibility for African Americans . This outcome led to Lyndon B. Johnson, the president at that time, to file a bill in order to eliminate restrictions on voting and praise the activists, a stepping stone in history. 

       In perspective, when I watched the movies I was overcome with feelings of sadness, anger, and enlightenment on how people were treated and how they were able to achieve their goal despite having no protection, power, or rights. I have gained considerable knowledge of the past history of South Africa and America, the roots of social movements that lead to positive change within a country, people like King and Mandela who changed history, and the power of the people working together to achieve a goal that left a positive impact on our world. These films help me understand the past and current history of South Africa and the new changes that are still occurring within the country. It prepares me on how people might react to others, and how different communities are still adapting to change stemming from the apartheid system, similarly in America, there will always be signs of racism even in modern society, but there is always room for change as time goes by.