For Friday’s discussion of voter registration and the Selma to Montgomery March, select one of the following questions and post a brief (one or two paragraph) response to it. Just use the questions as a jumping off point; if you’d like to go in a different direction, feel free to do so. You can also use these questions to write a response paper.

“Selma Freedom Day”:
1. This first selection, from James Forman’s autobiography, gives some background on the ongoing voter registration work in Selma, AL. Why does Forman see the advertisement he begins the chapter with as evidence that the White Citizens’ Council was on the defensive? What analysis does he offer of the power structure of the South, and how, if at all, does it differ from common assumptions? From your own?
2. What were some of the effects of Freedom Day? Which seem most significant to you? What was the significance of shifting efforts from ending segregation to registering voters? Which goal do you see as more important, and why?

“Power for Black People”:
1. This brief excerpt describes events that took place in Selma two years after Freedom Day. What are the criticisms Forman makes of Martin Luther King and SCLC? How do these compare to criticisms that John Lewis reports in earlier readings? Do you think Forman’s criticisms are justified? Why or why not?
2. In these selections, Forman discusses his attitudes toward nonviolence in general and marches in particular. What changes, if any, can you detect in these attitudes? What are the reasons underlying his attitudes? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

“Bloody Sunday”:
1. John Lewis here describes his involvement with the first attempted march from Selma to Montgomery. Why did this instance of police brutality seem worse than others, according to Lewis? How does he describe media coverage and national reactions? What are your reactions to this reading?
2. Think about the style and tone that Forman and Lewis use. How would you characterize the differences between their writing? Between their philosophies? Find a few examples to support your response.