Martin Luther King in SELMA.

David Oyelowo and movie director, Ava Duvernay spent seven years trying to get the film, SELMA made. When asked why he thought it took so long, he noted that not many films center around a Black protagonist. The actor added that it’s especially difficult for stories with historic dramas of this magnitude.

“Often, those films are told through the eyes of a white character, that is imposed upon the story that impacts who should be the protagonist through the movie. That’s how these films have been done, a la ‘Mississippi Burning.’ I truly believe that “Selma” benefited from “The Butler” and “12 Years a Slave” doing so well, not just critically, not just at the box office domestically, but also overseas. There are all lies we’ve been told for so many years: black doesn’t travel; black people don’t want to see historical dramas; white people don’t want to be made to feel guilty. These are all reasons I feel that the movie wasn’t getting off the ground.” - David Oyelowo, the Nigerian-British actor who stars as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in SELMA.