4 Black Business Execs Talk ‘Selma for Students’ Campaign and Dr. King’s Legacy

Theodore V. Wells, Jr., Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP:

Why did you join the “Selma for Students” campaign?

The movie Selma portrays one of the most important movements in U.S. history — the efforts of African Americans to secure their right to vote. It is critically important for African American students to know the sacrifices made by ordinary people to secure our right to vote.

What impact do you hope Selma will have on youth today?

Hopefully with this knowledge, these students will understand the importance of the right to vote. The right of minorities to vote continues to be under attack even today as represented by efforts of conservative groups to enact legislation making it harder for minorities to vote, and sadly in 2014 the U.S. Supreme Court overruled an important part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The battle to protect our voting rights is ongoing and we need to educate African American youth about the history of the voting rights movement and the need to protect their precious rights going forward.