Remembering Viola Liuzzo

[pamela]

Last edited Wed Mar 25, 2015, 11:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Fifty years ago today, Viola Liuzzo was murdered by the Klan. She was a wife, a mother of five, a student, an NAACP member, a Civil Rights worker and just an all-around amazing woman.



When Viola saw the coverage of Bloody Sunday, she knew she had to do something. When she heard of a four-day, 54-mile walk from Selma to Montgomery, Ala she packed a bag and drove south, telling her husband, "It's everybody's fight."

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For four days, Viola marched, worked the first aid station, listened to speeches and shuttled other marchers back and forth from Selma to Montgomery. On the night of March 25th, 1965 she and 19 year old Leroy Moton were returning to Montgomery after driving a group of marchers back to Selma when they were ambushed by the Klan. After trying to drive her off the road, they pulled up alongside her and shot her in the head.

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After her death, it was discovered that there was an FBI informant in the car. In order to deflect criticism about the FBI's culpability in her death, J. Edgar Hoover spread rumors about Viola, accusing her of drug abuse, promiscuity and insinuating that she went to Alabama to sleep with black men. I was going to talk more about that and how I feel those rumors have effected her legacy but for tonight, I just want this to be about remembering her and honoring her.

[marym625]

1. K&R!

Thank you for this thoughtful memorial

Amazing woman. What hoover did to her family, friends and legacy is just incomprehensible.

[pamela]

4. You're welcome.

It breaks my heart that more people don't know of her. I figured most DUers know her story but the general population-not so much. I wish someone would do a movie about her. She was a really interesting, fascinating woman. Way ahead of her time, in many ways.

[marym625]

5. I agree

It is a shame. It would be a great movie. Maybe the family didn't want to sell the rights.

[MADem]

6. They don't need to sell anything; she's a public figure, an historical figure.

Her family doesn't have to cooperate in any historical novelization of her life, but they can't prevent someone from writing a script and producing it.

I'm already casting the thing in my head--I think it would be a magnificent story.

[pamela]

7. I don't think they would fight it anyway.

She was portrayed in the movie "Selma" and her family was pleased but said they wish her story had been featured more in the movie. They want her story to be known. This week, they are attending several showings of the documentary "Home of the Brave" which is about her. They cooperated with the documentarians at the time. I have that movie and plan to watch it again tonight or tomorrow.

I was thinking this would be a good project for Reese Witherspoon's production company since she has started trying to make movies about strong women. She could possibly even play her although I'm not sure she would be my first choice. I think she could pull it off though. I actually made a post recently on Cheryl Strayed's Facebook page suggesting that she write a screenplay and have Reese produce it. She didn't respond but the comment kind of got buried in a bunch of other comments so I'm not sure she even saw it.

I'm kind of obsessed with Viola Liuzzo's story. I've even toyed with the idea of trying to write something myself. She's going to be given an honorary Doctorate from Wayne State this April and I think that would be a wonderful way to end the movie. It's such a fitting tribute to her.

[MADem]

8. +1,000! Even if you started w/a one act play, it could be the basis for a screenplay!!! nt

[marym625]

13. write it!

I think you should.

It's something that needs to be told.

[marym625]

12. True

Wasn't thinking I guess.

It is a magnificent story. It should be told. And frankly, with hoover being who he was, I believe he was behind her death. He was a racist and a misogynist with way too much power

[Tom Ripley]

2. K&R RIP

[niyad]

3. k and r, with thanks.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. I feel so small compared to her

She fought the fight, and was executed for her work.

Thank you for the memorial.

[Faygo Kid]

10. Being from Detroit, I recall the impact

Viola was, of course, a Detroiter, and I was then 13 there - it was a major shock to all. She's a true hero. Glad to see her remembered, 50 years to the day.

[pamela]

11. I would like to hear more of your memories if you have the time.

Her daughters describe the reaction in Detroit as being very mixed-some treated her as a hero while others were critical, even hateful. There was a cross burned on their lawn and the girls remember people shouting at them when they returned to school. What do you remember people saying about her at the time? Did you hear the rumors when they started and, if so, did it change the way people thought of her?