Savor the cinematic masterpiece Selma (2014) at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 8 at the Allen Public Library.  Garnering an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song, this PG-13 film stars David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo and Tim Roth and is directed by Ava DuVernay.

The story of a movement, Selma chronicles the tumultuous period in 1965 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a campaign to secure equal voting rights while confronting violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a pivotal milestone in the civil rights movement.

Allen resident Jeff Willie will introduce Selma. Mr. Willie notes, “A job is what you and I are paid for, a calling is what you and I are made for.  Martin Luther King Jr. had a calling on his life orchestrated by God. When you have a calling on your life, you are not worried about the circumstances. Somehow, someway, we shall overcome. As Dr. King lived, we must live full so we can die empty.”

Due to licensing restrictions, the program will not be broadcast virtually. 

Sponsored by the Allen Public Library and Collin County MLK Steering Committee, this program is free.  The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. For more information, call 214-509-4911.