The Truth About Selma: An Exchange

To the Editors: Ava DuVernay, and he quotes from well- “Selma” phenomenon—in reality and on and virtually all of the black support. When regarded black leaders to support this char- film—requires a lot more than this. Clark saw he was going to lose, he confis- I have great respect for The New York Re- acterization. DuVernay, on the other hand, has cated seven or eight boxes from the pre- view of Books. Thus, I turned with antici- a different perception of reality, as reflected John G. Stewart dominantly black voting districts, declaring pation to Darryl Pinckney’s recent piece on in her comment that she wasn’t interested in Legislative Director to Senator them illegal for irregularities. Fortunately, Selma, the event itself and the movie that making another “white savior movie.” Hubert Humphrey (1962–1965) and the resulting election contest was removed depicts what happened [“Some Different Mr. Pinckney’s take on these divergent to Vice President Humphrey (1965–1969) to federal court, and John Doar arrived to Ways of Looking at Selma,” NYR, Febru- realities would have been very illuminat- Knoxville, Tennessee try the case and obtain a verdict for Baker. ary 19]. I did this from the perspective of ing. For instance, he could have tackled the Selma now suffers from more than its someone who, as an assistant to Senator question that continues to swirl about this To the Editors: share of poverty and lack of economic op- and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, powerful film: How much credence are we portunity. Racism, from both white and was closely involved with the development to afford the notion that filmmakers can, Darryl Pinckney adds his voice to the re- black, still exists to some degree. But there and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and should, define distinctly different white views of the movie Selma and supplements are many positive signs, and many exam- and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. and black narratives? his comments by relating aspects of King’s ples of cooperation and goodwill between I regret to say that I was disappointed Here’s what I think. Passage of the Vot- campaign not covered by the film. Selma the races. There are numerous events tak- and puzzled. How is one to explain the series ing Rights Act was one of the momentous has been observed and written about reg- ing place over the next several weeks and of factual errors I encountered? It’s Sheriff democratic achievements of the last cen- ularly since 1965. The movie and the fifti- months, including a “unity” march from the Jim Clark—Selma’s still-notorious brutal tury. It represented an enormous first step eth anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” have county side of the bridge back into town, a bully—not “Bill” Clark. Mr. Pinckney writes in correcting injustices that have plagued— only increased that attention. Those of panel discussion with Howell Raines and that King’s activist leader, James us who live here have learned others, and a visit from President Obama. Bevel, was moved to action by to live with that. We can point Selma has budding entrepreneurial and the horrendous murder of Jimmy out errors in what is said about arts movements making a difference in the Lee Jackson of Selma. That’s us, such as those that occur in community. A novelist of Mr. Pinckney’s misleading because Bevel and his the movie and Mr. Pinckney’s stature would be a welcome addition to the wife, Diane Nash, had developed review (Sheriff “Bill” Clark in- dialogue. I invite him to come on down. the so-called Alabama Plan that stead of Jim Clark). But it seems included direct action in Selma, trivial to do so when the basic Harry W. Gamble Jr. as well as other Alabama cities, truth of discrimination and vio- Selma, Alabama almost two years earlier in the lence that happened in 1965 is so aftermath of the murder of the powerful. Darryl Pinckney replies: four schoolgirls at the 16th Street

Steven Kasher Gallery, New York Nevertheless, for Mr. Pinck- Baptist Church in Birmingham. ney to conclude his piece by I do make apologies to Mr. Stewart and to In other words, Selma’s dem- quoting an offhand remark by all readers for the error of calling Sheriff Jim onstrations were a long time in James Baldwin that “Selma was Clark “Bill” Clark and for attributing the the making. In another misstep, the worst place in the world” order to withdraw on Turnaround Tuesday Mr. Pinckney has Sheriff Jim is hard to take. This gratuitous to him, when it was the head of the state Clark ordering the state troopers swipe at our town is not related troopers who gave the order. It may be clear to stand aside during the “Turn- Martin Luther King Jr. with Ralph Abernathy, James Forman of to the movie or the review, and in the film; I should have gone to see it a around Tuesday” second march the SNCC, and Reverend Jesse Douglas leading the march around the furthermore the statement was third time. I should have checked the several that is so dramatically depicted state capitol, Montgomery, Alabama, March 25, 1965; photograph untrue in 1965 and is certainly documentary sources available. But I don’t in the film. Not so. Sheriff Clark by Spider Martin from the exhibition ‘Selma March 1965,’ at the untrue now. Selma in 1965 was consider these factual errors “missteps.” was deliberately kept under Steven Kasher Gallery, New York City, March 5–April 18, 2015 guilty of Jim Crow prejudice and I didn’t go into Bevel’s “Alabama Plan,” wraps by state authorities and denial of voting rights of its citi- because the film doesn’t. I also don’t see played no role. It was Major John Cloud of and continue to plague—our democracy zens, as were hundreds of towns and cities where Mr. Stewart and I disagree on the the Alabama state troopers, acting on or- from before independence. Neither Lyndon all over the South. But Selma had removed importance of the Voting Rights Act, or on ders from Colonel Al Lingo who, in turn, Johnson with all his legislative experience segregation signs from public drinking how much Johnson and King needed each was communicating with Governor George and protean energy nor Martin Luther King fountains and begun interracial meetings. other to get it passed.* He’s certainly en- Wallace, who commanded the troopers to Jr. with all his eloquence, personal cha- Selma’s leading citizens had publicly de- titled to feel vehemently about the film, but move to the side of the highway. risma, and organizational skills could win nounced the Ku Klux Klan. that is a matter altogether separate from This is significant because the standdown this fight on his own. No question that King What Selma did have was a brutish sher- what I said about the story this biopic takes to avoid violence had been negotiated by kept pushing Johnson and it’s equally clear iff who reacted violently once the marchers from the Selma protest. White House representatives, King, and that Johnson kept telling King about the po- got to the courthouse or across the bridge I am pleased for Mr. Gamble that his feel- Lingo. Even though it generated heated litical and legislative barriers that had to be into the county and under his jurisdiction. ing for his hometown inspires him to speak opposition from the Student Non-Violent overcome. Both also came to realize that to- But the city of Selma had its public safety up for those white citizens in Selma who Coordinating Committee toward King, this gether they could win and apart they would director, Wilson Baker, who kept the peace tried to make a difference or recognized agreement also kept the marchers from vio- lose. Anything that detracts from the essen- while the marchers were under his watch. that change had to come. But there was lating an injunction by the federal district tial truth of this realization is regrettable. Under very difficult circumstances, he pre- nothing offhand or gratuitous about what court not to march until the federal district With a commitment to preserving es- vented matters from getting much worse. Baldwin said. Selma was for him a very dis- judge had reached a positive decision on sential truths, the filmmaker can capture The violent actions that resulted in the turbing experience, a black man from the whether the march could go forward. The stories like Selma in a manner beyond the death of Jimmy Lee Jackson did not occur in North accustomed to the harshness of the entire episode revealed a growing and ul- reach of any other medium. Pinckney, on Selma by the Selma police as the movie im- ghetto, but not to the organized violence of timately decisive collaboration—a partner- the other hand, prefers another path: plies, but in another town by state troopers. those opposed to civil rights equality in the ship, if you will—between Reverend King As a white Selmian who was here in South. He hadn’t liked being afraid. Some and President Johnson. The book is still the only medium in Selma in 1965, I am not proud of the fact time after Selma, Baldwin wrote about his These missteps point to another and more which you can make a complicated that those of us who were opposed to Jim color being a mirror for white people and fundamental concern: Where is the insight argument. . . . But for the black expe- Clark and George Wallace did not speak therefore he had to spend a great deal of that Mr. Pinckney could bring to the current rience, the word is still chief witness. out more strongly. I am pleased, however, energy reassuring them that they did not debate about the significance of historical Selma was the worst place in the world, that as a very young lawyer, I was asked see what they saw. accuracy in cinematic portrayals of contro- James Baldwin said. to represent Wilson Baker when he ran versial past events? True, Mr. Pinckney ac- against Jim Clark for sheriff in 1966 after *This mutual effort was discussed at length knowledges that President Johnson was not With due respect to both Darryl Pinckney the Voting Rights Act was passed. Baker in Elizabeth Drew’s “Selma vs. History,” the obstacle depicted by the film’s director, and James Baldwin, understanding the had strong support in the white community NYRblog, January 8, 2015.

LETTERS But the players included in that study had After being sued by more than five thou- findings in The New York Times: a median birth year of 1950, and were only sand retired players for concealing the tracked through the 1988 season. A College long-term effects of concussions, the league Their calculations showed that play- THE DAMAGE TO of the Holy Cross study tracking players hired actuaries to help prepare a settle- ers younger than 50 had an 0.8 percent NFL PLAYERS who played during the 1994 season showed ment, worth approximately $1 billion, that chance of developing Alzheimer’s or similar results about longevity, while also is now on the verge of receiving final ap- dementia, compared with less than 0.1 To the Editors: showing that on average the longer a player’s proval by US District Judge Anita Brody. percent for the general population. career, the shorter his life span. In the last The actuaries found that 28 percent of For players ages 50 to 54, the rate was Some readers of my “The Super Bowl: The two decades the average size of NFL players, NFL players will be diagnosed with a debil - 1.4 percent, compared with less than Horror and the Glory” [NYR, March 5] measured by body mass index, has increased itating brain injury. They also concluded 0.1 percent for the general population. have pointed out that the often-cited high considerably. As has, it would appear, the that prevalence rates of Alzheimer’s and The gap between the players and the mortality rate of NFL players has been called players’ speed and athleticism, though that dementia among currently retired play- general population grows wider with into question. In 2012 the NFL sent retired is more difficult to quantify. But we won’t ers were “materially higher than those ex - increasing age. players a summary of a National Institute know the exact mortality rate of modern pected in the general population” and that for Occupation Safety and Health study, NFL players until they’re all dead. players would develop these diagnoses We don’t have a full account of the dam- which found that NFL players lived longer A more damning assessment of the “at notably younger ages than the general ages suffered by NFL players. There has than members of the general population. sport’s dangers comes from the NFL itself. population.” Ken Belson summarized these not been enough research and some of the

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