Hollywood stars with Chicago connections were among the winners at Sunday night's Academy Awards.
Lonnie Lynn, more commonly known as, well, Common, earned a statue for Best Original Song for "Glory" from the film "Selma."
In his acceptance speech, Common spoke of the Edmund Pettus Bridge that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers marched across.
"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," he said. "This bridge was built on hope, welded with compassion and elevated with love for all human beings."
Local
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a statement early Monday congratulating Common on the achievement.
"[Glory] now ranks among the great Civil Rights anthems, capturing the spirit of Dr. King's march," he said. "From now on, wherever brave men and women follow in his footsteps in pursuit of his Dream, the lyrics of "Glory" will be on their lips, quickening their pace."
[NATL] The Best 2015 Oscars After-Party Photos
Actress Patricia Arquette, who was born in Chicago, took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of single mother Olivia in the movie Boyhood. The groundbreaking film was shot intermittently over a period of 12 years and chronicles the adolescence of a young boy.
Arquette used her time on the Oscar stage to call for wage equality for women.
"To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen in this nation: We have fought for everybody else's equal rights. It's our time to have wage equality in the U.S.," she said.
Screenwriter and author Graham Moore was born in Chicago and grew up on the city's north side. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Imitation Game," and spoke openly about his battle with depression.
"I tried to commit suicide at 16 and now I'm standing here," he said. "I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. You do. Stay weird. Stay different, and then when it's your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the same message along."
Backstage, Moore said he saw the public moment as a rare opportunity for a writer and figured that "I might as well use it to say something meaningful."
