Forrest Gump Civil Rights Movement

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Joey Dinko English 302 Period 2 3-2-15 The Academy Award winning movie, Forrest Gump, has been has been the epitome of greatness in American Film over the past decades. The film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, uses a variety of tactics to accomplish his goal of creating a unique film that encompasses recent American history, the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Forrest Gump, Jenny Curran, and Lieutenant Dan Taylor are three characters that represent the different types of perspectives of American people in America at this time and how they influenced American culture and politics. Events such as the Vietnam War, the protests and the political turmoil associated with the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement are depicted in a way that engages…show more content…
America saw a constant battle for African American’s rights during the 1960’s. The African American community saw several important people, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, take leadership roles in this contest. There were several events that played as obstacles in the fight for Civil Rights. One event that is represented in Forrest Gump is the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door. After separate but equal schooling was ruled unconstitutional in the Supreme Court Case, Brown v. Board of Education, the University of Alabama tried to integrate three African American students into their university. A federal district judge ordered that these students be accepted into the university. However, Gov. George Wallace of Alabama stopped the African American students from entering by literally standing in front of the schoolhouse door. President John F. Kennedy federalized the National Guard and ordered the removal of the governor (“Tuscaloosa: Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”). In Forrest Gump, Forrest appears in this event. He is seen picking up a book for an African American female student who is trying to enter the university. This says a lot about Forrest’s ideals. While many Americans at the time would have not picked up the book simply because of the woman’s race, Forrest saw past this and he saw a human being who needed help. It is the ideals of Forrest and other characters in the film that make Forrest Gump truly
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