President Barack Obama Hosted Special 'Selma' Movie Screening at White House Including Oprah, Common & More
Selma screening was hosted by none other than the POTUS himself, Barack Obama, at the White House on Friday (Jan 16).
The event took place a day before First Lady Michelle Obama's birthday and a day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
Guests in attendance included cast members David Oyelowo (who plays Martin Luther King Jr.), Oprah Winfrey, director Ava Duvernay, Common, Tim Roth (Governor George Wallace), Carmen Ejogo (Coretta Scott King), plus Congressman John Lewis.
Indeed, hip hop artist Common was so ecstatic to be at the White House that he posted an Instagram video during the evening. "Some people take their friends to the movies, I take the movies to my friends @selmamovie," he wrote, according to US weekly.
Common and singer John Legend recently won the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice award for Best Song. The song is the theme song for the movie and is titled "Glory". Common gave an inspiring and powerful speech upon winning at the Golden Globes, specifically tackling the right to votes for Blacks.
The movie is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, and Martin Luther King, Jr. of SCLC and John Lewis of SNCC. The film stars David Oyelowo as King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson, Common as James Bevel, Tim Roth as George Wallace, and Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King.
The film is nominated for the Best Picture category and Best Song in the upcoming Academy Awards on February 22 airing on ABC.