On January 13, 2025, at 1:00pm in Peacock Hall, the Democrats of Rossmoor will show the film, Boycott (2001), which honors Martin Luther King’s January 15th birthday and highlights King’s leadership during the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama which ultimately ignites the Civil Rights Movement.
Boycott, directed by Clark Johnson with screenplay based on Stewart Burns’s book Daybreak of Freedom, stars Jeffrey Wright (Martin Luther King, Jr.), Carmen Ejogo (Coretta), Terrence Howard (Ralph Abernathy), and Iris Thomas (Rosa Parks). The movie dramatizes how Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat in December 1955 sets into motion a whole movement of people working to ensure civil rights for all citizens.
Plus, the movie provides a powerful recreation of King’s gift for expressive oratory and shows Dr. King’s philosophy and motivation, while the film’s documentary-style provides a remarkable sense of historical realism. In this way, Boycott provides both a “history lesson” and a moving portrait of a time that offers dramatic insights into racial problems of the 1950’s.
The movie runs 2 hours and provides subtitles. Film enthusiast Lynne Thorner will facilitate a post-viewing analysis and discussion of the film’s timely relevance. Please direct any questions or concerns to Lynne at [email protected].