12 Years a Slave just won Best Picture at the 86th annual Academy Awards.
"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live," said director Steve McQueen during his acceptance speech — a quote from Solomon Northup, on whose 1853 memoir the film was based. McQueen finished the speech by dedicating the award to "all the people who have endured slavery, and the 21 million people who still suffer slavery today."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The CIA is openly recruiting foreign spies in other countriesIn the Spotlight The agency is posting instructions in multiple languages for people to contact them
-
'People want to understand food — but only to a point'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How do cash-back apps work and are they worth it?The Explainer Put a percentage of the amount you spend back in your pocket
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strikeSpeed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detenteSpeed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe feesSpeed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billionSpeed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
