Entertainment

Selma’s David Oyelowo Inspired by Dr. King’s Legacy

Published

12 years ago

January 5, 2015

On the eve of a scheduled telephone interview with David Oyelowo (pronounced Oh-yellow-oh), star of “Selma” – the acclaimed Ava Duvernay directed feature film, I pondered what could be made of the few precious minutes we would have to talk about his quintessential portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the revered Civil Rights icon slain for confronting matters of injustice in 1968.

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As a product of the Civil Rights Movement – shaped by the challenges of segregation, denied access, racial slurs, taunts, intentional hatred, white privilege and self-proclaimed entitlement – I was made to believe that a change would surely come through faith, perseverance, accomplishment, and forgiveness.

Much like the era of the 1960s, the soldiers for justice and equality are multicultural, multigenerational and multi-equipped with passion, providence and purpose. Their outcries are echoes of the past and appeals for the future.

Art does imitate life but reality looms larger.

Oyelowo, Image Award winner (The Butler) and Golden Globe nominee, became Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” His transformation, a silhouette of one man deemed king among common men, agitator to malevolent men and spiritual barometer of a presidential man, made to concede his moral consciousness.

Sandra Varner: How did you absorb the weight, the honor of portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the responsibility of telling his story on film?

David Oyelowo: “My admiration of him before this project was immense, of course, but in preparation for this film role, having to seek for the man, husband, father, friend, what we know about him in terms of his oratory…a man who felt fear and did it [led the Civil Rights Movement] anyway.

“Now, on the other side of portraying him, my admiration has gone through the roof.

“Reflecting Dr. King at the timeline of this film, he was two years younger than I am currently; he was 36, I am 38. I can tell you, hand on heart, if I had had 10 years of my life held in the balance fighting for justice, being away from my family, having my every move scrutinized; I don’t know that I could have done it or would have done it. I can, however, relate to him as a husband and father with young children.

“We are now at a time in history when protests are rife again; racial injustice is making itself very clear, amplified again. Similar to the protests in Selma, Alabama, the injustices are racial but also inhuman toward all people. Dr. King advocated on behalf of all people.

“Today’s injustices are an American problem. The power of the image of all people protesting, not just hearing about it, but seeing it, changes the dialogue. I am encouraged by older people involved, younger people involved and all people coming together. The big question that I have for us as a country is, what are our demands?

“Are we articulating demands in a way that we can continue to rally behind so the effort does not dissipate? Dr. King asked for federal intervention and protection. Today, we need police reform.”

SV: There is equally a measure of courage needed and risk assumed when one attempts revisionist history.

Oyelowo: “Yes, I think there is also a divine element involved. I felt God directed me to do this project. I was contacted about it in 2007; then I went on a journey doing other films that taught me–as a foreigner–what it was like to be a Black person in this country for the last 150 years.

“Playing a soldier in “Lincoln” during the period of 1865, I played a Black fighter pilot in “Red Tails,” I played the son of a butler in “The Butler,” I played a preacher in “The Help.” All of the roles were demonstrative in helping me get to this point in my career and I can tell you that I didn’t go after all of these roles, they came to me.

“I have been given the opportunity to do what I love as an actor. If by chance we can see ourselves in the legacy of Dr. King, it will bear out that we all have greatness within us.”

We salute Ava Duvernay, David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey and countless others who fought to bring “Selma” to the big screen, in theaters Jan. 9. The gift of this film is proof that the dream is still alive, the promise still intact, our prayers are being answered, and the movement continues to gain momentum.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2026

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Business

From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

1 week ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”