Following the violence of “Bloody Sunday,” on March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama, sisters from around the country answered Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to join the protests. Never before in American history had vowed Catholic women made so public a political statement. Newfound news footage of confrontations in Selma provides much of the drama. Director Jayasri Hart reunited the nuns to let them view themselves and the protests on tape for the first time. Their recorded reactions help narrate the film. The documentary features the first six sisters who marched in Selma. Leading the group was Sister Antona Ebo, an African American nun, who had experienced discrimination firsthand in her own religious order in St. Louis. Risking personal safety to bring change, the sisters found themselves being changed in turn. The two sisters of Loretto in that group eventually left the religious life feeling that they could fulfil their goal of improving humanity on their own. Also featured are the Sisters of St. Joseph who were missioned in Selma at the time serving the Black community and supporting their efforts to claim their rights. Other Selmians, Catholic and Protestant, white and black, add to this revealing analysis of why it took Selma blacks another 35 years to become fully enfranchised. Newsreel footage of Dr. King speaking in Selma on March 9, 1965 is one of his most honest characterizations of civil disobedience and a timely reminder that 'it is better to live with a scarred up body than a scarred up soul.'

Forms: Documentary, Television
Genres: Educational, Religious, Human Rights, Period/Historical, Spiritual
Niches: African American, Black, Christian, Women, Mature/Adult