Alva James-Johnson: History comes in many varieties

I went to see the movie "Selma" last week and left the theater feeling inspired.

It didn't matter that critics have questioned the film's historical accuracy.

The movie captured the essence of the historic voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, and that's the most I could hope for.

Hollywood, after all, is notorious for handling the facts loosely. They call it "artistic license," a liberty that has resulted in blockbusters such as "JFK," "Lincoln" and "Lee Daniels' The Butler."

We've learned to accept that it's all entertainment. So my philosophy is if you want to know the truth, go to the history books, and even then there is really no guarantee.

You see, history, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. That's especially true when it comes to facts concerning racial incidents.

Many black and white Americans have different perspectives on everything from the Civil War to Trayvon Martin. So why would we expect "Selma" to be any different?

The truth is that history can be very subjective. The way we view the world is clouded by personal experiences and influences around us. Yet, it amazes me how wide the gap can be.

The controversies surrounding "Selma" have to do with the movie's depictions of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Alabama Gov. George Wallace. Johnson supporters and Wallace's son claim the film distorts the two men's legacies.

I understand some of the debate concerning Johnson, who signed civil rights legislation in 1964. It has been historically documented that he was reluctant to support the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign for voting rights a year later. But the question is why. Some of his supporters argue that he didn't think the timing was right, but he eventually got on board.

Joseph A. Califano Jr., Johnson's former top assistant for domestic affairs, even goes as far as to suggest Selma was LBJ's idea, according to news reports.

That, of course, doesn't jibe with the way many African Americans remember it, and there has been push back from civil rights circles.

When it comes to some of the details surrounding discussions between King and Johnson, the disconnect could just be a matter of interpretation.

Wallace's legacy is a much different story. He was a staunch segregationist, no question about it. How else would you describe someone who blocked black children at the schoolhouse door? So for him to be portrayed that way in the movie doesn't seem far-fetched, even if he did later repent of his ways.

I'm no historian, but I've lived long enough to know that history has many varieties, and you just have to choose what version you'll accept.

Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.

This story was originally published January 15, 2015 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: History comes in many varieties."