John Legend: 'There are more black men under correctional control today then there were under slavery'

John Legend.
(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

In an emotional acceptance speech for the Best Original Song Oscar, John Legend explained the motivation behind "Glory," the song he co-wrote for Selma with Common.

"Nina Simone said it's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live," said Legend. "We wrote this song for a film that was based on events that were 50 years ago. But we say Selma is now, because the struggle for justice is right now.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.