Selma-Walton to host civil rights film festival
Published 7:40 pm Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The Selma Walton Theater along with the city of Selma will present a series of documentaries Saturday — a “Selma Voting Rights Film Festival.”
Beginning at noon, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to view The Lowndes County Freedom Organization documentary, “Never Lose Sight of Freedom” and a segment from “Eyes on the Prize.” All viewings are free.
At 1 p.m. the theater will hold a special screening of “The House I Lived in,” a documentary that discusses the short fallings of the U.S. criminal justice system.
Sharon Jackson, Walton manager, said this is the first year the Walton will play an integral role in the Jubilee weekend. She said by offering free viewings of these voting rights documentaries, she hopes attendees learn more about this turbulent time in our nation’s past and how Selma was a part of it.
“These documentaries highlight Selma’s role in the voting rights movement,” Jackson said. “We are expecting that there will be quite a few people coming through the theater. After last year we said we wanted to make sure the theater was an integral part of the weekend.”
And the Walton’s role in Jubilee weekend won’t end Saturday. The theater will also host an emerging leaders breakfast Sunday morning.
“Then there’s a contingent of students coming down from the University of Alabama who will also come and see these three documentaries and then participate in the march,” Jackson said.
With Jubilee weekend only a few days away, Jackson said the Walton is gearing up for a packed house at the theater.
“We’re expecting to have a lot of visitors,” she said. “I’m just glad the Walton can be a part of all the excitement.”