“Behind The Movement” Premieres On TV One February 11th At 7pm
“Behind The Movement” TV One’s original film Behind The Movement premieres Sunday, February 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Set during the tumultuous Civil Rights era, Behind The Movement offers a closer look at how Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger launched the history-making Montgomery Bus Boycott.
This original made for television movie honors the contributions of many unsung heroes of this watershed moment in the Civil Rights struggle, recounting the inner workings and behind the scenes preparation that took place during three intense days between the fateful evening when Parks refused to give up her seat, to the launch of this significant protest. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, there was a chorus of lesser-known heroes, including Rosa Parks and E.D. Nixon, who galvanized the most successful boycott of its time.
There is always a myth to every story and the idea that Rosa Parks(played by Meta Golding) gave up her seat on the bus that fateful day in Montgomery, Alabama because she was tired from a long day at work is put to rest in TV One’s original film “Behind The Movement”.
Though Rosa Parks was not the first African American female to give up her seat, nine months earlier 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was the first to challenge the law. Many others were quietly fined. However on that fateful day like all the women before her, Rosa Parks was tired all right, she was tired of the injustices she saw every day in her city. And that decision not to move to the back of the bus sparked the civil rights movement which brought Martin Luther King Jr.to the attention of a larger world audience. Once Rosa is arrested a chain of events collide to create a moment in history that would change the face of America. “Behind The Movement” sheds light on other key people that helped shape the policies that pushed for change. One important player Joanne Robinson,(played by Loretta Devine) was an English Professor at Alabama State who was pivotal in organizing the city bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 that changed the course of civil rights in America.
Another important player was E.D. Nixon(played by Isaiah Washington) was a Pullman porter and civil rights leader who worked with Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to initiate the Montgomery Bus Boycott. So many people a vital role in moving the cause forward, risking their lives and livelihood to have equal rights in a deeply segregated South. The boycott was a testament to the power of unity and one that crippled the economy of Montgomery Alabama a true glimpse of the power of the people to affect change.
“Behind The Movement” is a must-see film for all, whatever your nationality this film speaks to us today even more due to the political and social climate of the times. But the message is clear that with all the strides made for equal rights, the struggle for dignity and safety of African Americans will continue until we unite as one and teach the new generation the value of taking a stand in the face of adversity.
