News broke earlier this week that the cast and film crew of the movie “Selma” will be in town Sunday for a commemorative march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge to pay homage to Dr. Martin Luther King’s contributions in the Civil Rights Movement.

On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — which is Monday — the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Without the contributions of King and other civil rights leaders, history would surely be different.

Those involved with the movie — particularly Oprah Winfrey, whose star shines brighter than that of most celebrities — will undoubtedly get a ton of attention Sunday.

The city should welcome and thank the crew for bringing it onto the national stage, which among other things should benefit immensely in tourism dollars. Selma is now on the map for thousands — perhaps millions — of people that may have never given the city much thought.

It’s not exactly reaching on out a limb to predict hundreds of tweets, Facebook updates and Snapchats will be sent as those in Selma try to catch a glimpse of Oprah, director Ava DuVernay, Common or other stars. The excitement for their appearances has been building all week and will likely turn into complete euphoria by the time Sunday rolls around.

But even Oprah and others involved with the film are in Selma for a bigger mission. They’re here to remember an activist whose nonviolence stance helped shape the face of history. King was a man who dreamed big and did not fear speaking his mind, even when the odds were greatly against him.

It’s going to be a busy weekend in Selma, but when the celebrities leave and the attention from the movie wanes, all of the changes King helped influence will still be affecting lives here in Selma and all around the world.