Common and John Legend won the 2015 Oscar for their powerful song about the civil rights movement from the movie "Selma." The duo not only delivered a beautiful performance of "Glory" prior to their win but also gave an emotional speech upon accepting the award.
"We wrote this song for a film that was based on events that were 50 years ago, but we say that Selma is now because the struggle for justice is right now," Legend said. "We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more Black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850. When people are marching with our song, we want to tell you, 'We are with you. We see you. We love you. And march on.'"
Common also spoke to Rolling Stone prior to the Grammys that same year, explaining that music like "Glory" is why he does what he does. "This is what I live for," he explained. "This is what I want to do as an artist. This is who I want to be as a person — to be able to speak up and say things that can impact people's lives, and things that can be inspiring to human beings."
