Entertainment
John Legend At Oscar Speech: More Black Men Under Correctional Control Than Were Enslaved
John Legend accepts the award for best original song in a feature film for Glory from Selma at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
According to reports, the number of black men currently in jail, on parole or on probation is more than three times the number of black men enslaved in 1850.
While accepting the Oscar for Best Original Song for“Glory” at the Academy Awards last Sunday (February 22) with fellow artist Common, Ohio-born crooner John Legend brought attention to the fact that the United States is “the most incarcerated country in the world.”
The singer also revealed that, “There are more black men under correctional control today then were under slavery in 1850.”
In the days following Common and Legend’s acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, Legend’s comments on black men under correctional control have been proven factual.
