The American Girl series is tackling the topic of racial inequality in their newest movie An American Girl Story — Melody 1963: Love Has To Win.
Based in 1963 Detroit during the civil rights movement, An American Girl Story—Melody 1963: Love Has to Win centers around 10-year-old Melody (played by Marsai Martin) who starts to realize there’s a lot of racial inequality surrounding her. As a result, Melody challenges her teacher on the validity of the United States’ “indivisible” promise of the Pledge of Allegiance given in the horrific tragedy of the 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing.
“Melody: 1963 is a great conversation starter as it tells the story of a girl who gets bullied for something she has no control over. Before I shot the movie, I was not aware of some of the things that my grandparents had to go through just because of the color of their skin. Hopefully this movie will give kids, parents and grandparents an opportunity to talk about the past so we don’t repeat those mistakes in the future,” Martin told Celeb Secrets in an interview.
As the movie continues, Melody’s mother (played by Idara Victor) gives her the courage she needs by telling her to “stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard or scary.”
Idara had big shoes to fill when she took on this important role, and she told us that she’s extremely proud of how everything turned out. “The writer and director did a really phenomenal job with my character. Every scene has a real tangible sense of importance,” Victor says. “You really see how much of a difference you can make in your own life based on the characters. I love getting to play Francis; I love getting to play a woman who is in that time and isn’t just beaten down by the front. I loved every moment of it.”
Just like us, Victor encourages parents to watch the movie with their children to really get an understanding of why things are happening the way they are and how you can help make it change. “I think the most important message the viewer can take away is that you’re never too small to make a difference! That anything, anywhere you are no matter how, what faith you’re given, no matter position you hold, no matter what community you’re in , you can find some small way to make a difference that creates a ripple effect and that can affect a larger community and the world.”
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