Selma Archives - Rolling Out

Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are two of the many cult fairy tales that excluded children of color. During this age of reboots, actors David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie teamed up with director Brenda Chapman and writer Marissa Kate Goodhill to retell both of those stories with the fantasy-driven family film Come Away. Unlike…

Ava DuVernay never imagined she’d become a successful filmmaker. The 48-year-old director is supporting a group of young, international filmmakers as part of a series called “New Realities,” and DuVernay has admitted that for a long time, she had “no concept that a black woman could be a director.” DuVernay — who is, perhaps, best…

Over 500,000 people have signed a petition to have Edmund Pettus Bridge renamed in honor of the late-great John Lewis. On Aug. 7, community and civil rights leaders met in Selma, Alabama to discuss the possible change of the bridge, according to WSB-TV. But while the petition reveals a call for change, some in Selma…

Common has paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend Tiffany Haddish, hailing her a “beautiful person” and more. The 40-year-old actress declared her love for the 48-year-old musician, claiming it to be the “best relationship” she has ever had, and now the rapper has admitted he is “grateful” to have such a “wonderful woman” in…

American hero John Lewis traveled across the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, for the final time. In a gripping act of symbolism that characterized his most famous act of valor, the late legendary Congressman Lewis was carried over the bridge in a horse-drawn carriage and his casket was covered with the American flag.…

Following the death of civil rights icon and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, many are calling for a historic landmark to be renamed in his honor. On Friday, July 17, 2020, Lewis, who represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District for more than three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives, died after being in hospice care in…

David Oyelowo wants to educate the next generation to fight racism. The Selma star is curating a special podcast, titled STOR14S, where he will narrate children’s stories in a bit to inspire and educate the younger generation amid the Black Lives Matter movement. He said: “A lack of education breeds the ignorance that perpetuates the…

Ava DuVernay has recalled the “traumatizing” experience of seeing her father restrained by police in their backyard. The Selma filmmaker spoke candidly about the terrifying time her dad was “wrestled to the ground” by cops, despite not having done anything wrong. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey on her two-part special, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” DuVernay…

Revered Georgia congressman John Lewis stared down White supremacy and Southern segregationists during the Civil Rights era. There is no doubt, his friends say, that the legendary legislator will not flinch as he prepares to go to war with the type of cancer that has a low survival rate. Lewis, D-Georgia, told his supporters that…

As talented as she is, Ava DuVernay says she doesn’t get offered “a lot” of directing jobs. The Selma director has won a number of awards for her work behind the camera, but she insists she still doesn’t get calls for a wide range of movies. “I don’t get offered a lot, and what I do get…

On Monday, January 15, 2018, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which this year happens to fall on King’s actual 89th birthday. King, who was born Michael King Jr., was a minister and the father of the…

One of the best young directors in Hollywood is set to bring us one of the most infamous and explosive crime stories in recent New York City history to Netflix. Ava DuVernay, who brilliantly brought us the story of Martin Luther King Jr’s arduous journey towards the momentous Civil Rights Act of 1965 through the…

It’s getting down to the final days to vote. “Queen Sugar” actor Omar Dorsey explains how being on set of the movie Selma helped him appreciate what black people had to go through in order to vote. Dorsey explains this should continue even after the election on local levels.

After he witnessed his friend and mentor’s assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968, Jesse Louis Jackson became a minister. Today, Rev. Jackson, 74, is one of the foremost American civil rights activists, a community servant and a Baptist minister. The founder of Rainbow/PUSH has worked tirelessly in the past…

Ozell Sutton

A highly revered leader in the Civil Rights Movement has died in Atlanta, according to family members. Ozell Sutton who worked directly with Dr. Martin L. King Jr. died at Atlanta’s St. Joseph’s Hospital on Saturday, Dec. 19 at the age of 90. Sutton marched with King in Selma, Alabama, and was present at the…

Rapper and actor Common has signed on to play a part in a new film that’ll add yet another diverse credit to his ever-growing Hollywood résumé. This time the 43-year-old Grammy- and Oscar–winning Chicago native will co-star with Edie Falco, Bradley Whitford and Tom Felton in an Iraq war drama titled, Leavey. The story will follow Leavey…

Get ready to say hi to the bad guy. Rapper and burgeoning actor Common has landed a role as a villain opposite Keanu Reeves in the upcoming movie, John Wick 2. The first Wick film followed the story of retired legendary assassin John Wick (Reeves), who is forced back into action when a notorious mobster steals his prized car…

Actor turned rapper Donald Glover will soon be combining his two favorite mediums in a new show for the FX network. The former star of “Community,” whose writing credits includes “30 Rock,” will star in a half-hour sitcom, simply titled “Atlanta,” that will focus on a pair of cousins who are making their way through the thriving…

Rising Canadian actor Stephan James (Selma) has been tapped to play the legendary track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens in the upcoming biopic of his life titled, Race. The 21-year-old, who portrayed civil rights activist John Lewis in Selma, says he was actually offered the role while still filming Selma, after fellow actor Joe Boyega dropped out to take…

When you’re hot you’re hot, and right now Ava DuVernay is one of the most sought after people in the movie business. On the heels of her box office success directing the Academy Award winning Selma, DuVernay is retooling her film company, AFFRM (African American Film Festival Releasing Movement) into something much larger and more expansive called…