Watch John Legend And Common’s Powerful Performance Of ‘Glory’
It was received with standing ovation, and brought David Oyelowo to tears.
Before Selma won an Oscar for Best Original Song — one of only two categories it was nominated in for this year’s awards — John Legend and Common took to the stage to perform the song.
The stage was decked out with a replica of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a focal point during the historic Selma-to-Montgomery March on which the film is based. “This bridge was once a landmark of a divided nation, but now it’s a symbol for change,” said Common, in his acceptance speech. “The spirit of this bridge transcends race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and social status. 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 the people in Hong Kong protesting for democracy. This bridge was built on hope.”
And during the performance, as Common rapped about racial inequalities past and present, the choir behind him marched closer to the audience and the cameras, joining him step by step in unison, into the spotlight. It was one of the most powerful images of this year’s awards.
The performance was received by a standing ovation, bringing both David Oyelowo and Chris Pine to tears. These tears were then captured by the Huffington Post, in the inimitable format of GIFs:
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