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.”
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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.
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Scarlett Johansson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chris Pratt and Anna Faris attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Jessica Chastain attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chris Pine attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Reese Witherspoon attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Anna Kendrick attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Rosamund Pike attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Bradley Cooper attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Neil Patrick Harris, right, and David Burtka attendsthe 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Lupita Nyong'o attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Gwyneth Paltrow attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Eddie Redmayne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Julianne Moore attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Oprah Winfrey attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Nicole Kidman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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America Ferrera attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Cate Blanchett attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Michael Keaton attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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David Oyelowo attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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J.K. Simmons attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Zendaya attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Josh Hutcherson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Kevin Hart attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Dakota Johnson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Melanie Griffith attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Hans Zimmer attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Giuliana Rancic attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Jason Reitman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Margot Robbie attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Joanna Newsom, left, and Andy Samberg attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Common attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Karolina Kurkova attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Jamie Chung attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Patricia Arquette attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Michael Strahan attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Mario Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Ryan Seacrest attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Will i Am attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Kelly Osbourne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Miles Teller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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John Stamos attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Naomi Watts attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Marion Cotillard attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Alejandro G. Inarritu attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Genesis Rodriguez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Laura Dern attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Questlove attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chrissy Teigen attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Faith Hill and Tim McGraw attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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John Legend attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Rita Ora attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chloe Grace Moretz attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Viola Davis attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Kerry Washington attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Sienna Miller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Ansel Elgort attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Ed Norton and Shauna Robertson attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Channing Tatum attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Keira Knightley attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Chris Evans attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Lady Gaga attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Jennifer Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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Solange Knowles attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif.
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