To pay tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, and fellow actors from the Oscar-nominated film Selma marched with a large crowd in Alabama. Oyelowo, who played the iconic leader in Selma, spoke to the crowd about his admiration for Dr. King, Jr., and what it was like playing the role.
“I felt his pain. I felt his burden. I felt the love he had for his family,” Oyelowo said. “I only stepped into his shoes for a moment, but I asked myself, ‘How did he do it?'”
Source: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Bernice King also spoke to the crowd about her father, and referenced the recent deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and 12-year-old Tamir Rice. She pleaded to the crowd to take a stand against injustice, but to also remember her father’s words about practicing nonviolence.
“We cannot act unless we understand what Dr. King taught us,” Bernice King said. “He taught us that we still have a choice to make: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. I challenge you to work with us as we help this nation choose nonviolence.”
Common and John Legend also performed their Oscar-nominated song “Glory” at Sunday’s remembrance event.
“We are the ones that can change the world,” Common said. “It is up to us, and it takes all us — black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, whatever nationality or religious background. There is a certain togetherness that we’ve got to have.”
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MLK Day Tribute in Alabama: Featured image courtesy of AP
