Proud of My Father

摘要

I had a small nonspeaking role in the movie Selma, which tells the story of the civil rights march from Selma, Ala., to the state Capitol in Montgomery in March 1965. The movie has been honored in many ways, but I consider my small role as a newspaper reporter a way to honor my father. James G. Patterson was an Alabama National Guardsman who was called to protect the marchers from the violence that had greeted an earlier attempt to make the 50-mile trek in support of voting rights for black Americans. After several years in the active-component Army, my father had joined the Guard expecting nothing from his service except fellowship with other Guardsmen.