Oprah to Anti-Police Protesters: Use ‘Selma’ as a Change Blueprint

Oprah Winfrey comments to PEOPLE magazine about the anti-police protests around the nation have created a social media firestorm aimed at the producer and costar of the new movie, “Selma.”

Protesters took her comments as unfair criticism of their leadership skills, instead of advice on how to use “strategic peaceful attention” to cause “real change” in society, like her new movie, “Selma,” depicts happening during the 1960s civil rights movement.

Oprah said, “I think what can be gleaned  from our film ‘Selma,’ is to really take note of the strategic attention required when you want real change. Strategic, peaceful attention when you want real change. I think it’s wonderful to march and to protest, and it’s wonderful to see all across the country, people doing it. But it’s not enough to march. What I’m looking for is some kind of leadership to come out of this to say, ‘This is what we want. This is what has to change, and these are the steps that we need to take to make these changes, and this is what we’re willing to do to get it.’ And when you watch ‘Selma,’ that’s what ‘Selma’ is all about. It’s all about the strategy.  Those marches just didn’t happen and they weren’t happening haphazardly. They were happening out of an order and a design for change. That’s my feeling about it.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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