--- description: Common and John Legend dedicate their speeches to the continued struggle for equal rights title: Oscars 2015: 'Glory' from Selma Wins Best Original Song and Speech image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch John Legend and Common's Stirring Acceptance Speeches at the Oscars by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/) and [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/) Feb 23, 2015 4:47 AM CUT by [Daniel D'Addario](/author/daniel-daddario/) and [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/) Feb 23, 2015 4:47 AM CUT After controversy over perceived snubs for its cast and director, _Selma_ has an Oscar. Its emotional, resonant theme song “Glory” won the Best Original Song trophy for performers and songwriters Common and John Legend. The rapper and the singer had previously performed the song during the Oscar ceremony as well as at the conclusion of this month’s Grammy Awards. The song has charted on the Hot 100, making it the third consecutive hit song to win this prize, after Adele’s title song from _Skyfall_ and “Let It Go” from _Frozen_. But the relevance of “Glory” has less to do with chart performance than with its lyrical references to recent events in Ferguson, Mo. In his acceptance speech, Common linked the civil rights movement to similar movements in France and Hong Kong. “The spirit of this bridge connects the kid from the South Side of Chicago, dreaming of a better life, to those in France standing up for their freedom of expression, to those in Hong Kong, protesting for democracy,” he said. “This bridge was built on hope, welded with compassion and elevated with love for all human beings.” John Legend got more explicitly political in his speech. “We say that Selma is now, because the struggle for justice is right now,” he said. “We know that the Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now in this country today. We know that right now, the struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today then were under slavery in 1850.” “We are with you, we see you, we love you and march on,” he concluded. Watch the full clip here: ### Oscars 2015: Celebrities on the Red Carpet  Emma Stone attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Scarlett Johansson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Chris Pratt and Anna Faris attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Jessica Chastain attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Chris Pine attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Reese Witherspoon attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Anna Kendrick attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Rosamund Pike attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Bradley Cooper attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Neil Patrick Harris, right, and David Burtka attendsthe 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Lupita Nyong'o attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Gwyneth Paltrow attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Eddie Redmayne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Julianne Moore attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Oprah Winfrey attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Nicole Kidman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  America Ferrera attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Cate Blanchett attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Michael Keaton attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  David Oyelowo attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  J.K. Simmons attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Zendaya attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Josh Hutcherson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Kevin Hart attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Dakota Johnson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Melanie Griffith attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Hans Zimmer attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Ethan Miller—WireImage/Getty Images  Giuliana Rancic attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Jason Reitman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Margot Robbie attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Joanna Newsom, left, and Andy Samberg attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Common attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Karolina Kurkova attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Jamie Chung attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Patricia Arquette attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Michael Strahan attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Michael Buckner—WireImage/Getty Images  Mario Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Ryan Seacrest attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Will i Am attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Kelly Osbourne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Miles Teller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  John Stamos attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Naomi Watts attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Marion Cotillard attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Alejandro G. Inarritu attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Genesis Rodriguez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Laura Dern attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Questlove attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Chrissy Teigen attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Faith Hill and Tim McGraw attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  John Legend attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Rita Ora attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Chloe Grace Moretz attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Viola Davis attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Kerry Washington attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Sienna Miller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Ansel Elgort attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Ed Norton and Shauna Robertson attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Channing Tatum attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Keira Knightley attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Chris Evans attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Lady Gaga attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Jennifer Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Solange Knowles attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3717055/oscars-2015-best-original-song-john-legend-common-selma/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3717055/oscars-2015-best-original-song-john-legend-common-selma/"},"headline":"Watch John Legend and Common's Stirring Acceptance Speeches at the Oscars","datePublished":"2015-02-23T04:47:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:43.370Z","description":"Common and John Legend dedicate their speeches to the continued struggle for equal rights","url":"https://time.com/3717055/oscars-2015-best-original-song-john-legend-common-selma/","keywords":["movies","The Lego Movie","john legend","selma","the oscars","oscars 2015"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel D'Addario","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Charlotte Alter","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3717055/oscars-2015-best-original-song-john-legend-common-selma/","name":"Watch John Legend and Common's Stirring Acceptance Speeches at the Oscars"}}]}] ```