David Oyelowo's Suit Pays Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
David Oyelowo flashing his suit’s insides. Photo: Getty Images
On what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 86th birthday, David Oyelowo, who plays the civil rights leader in the movie Selma, honored the historical figure in a very poignant, personal, and stylish way. On Thursday night at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the British actor wore a tuxedo with the lyrics to King’s favorite gospel song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," embroidered into the jacket’s lining. The song's opening lyrics read:
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
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Oyelowo wore the coat for his blue carpet appearance with a white button-down shirt, black pants, and patent cap-toe shoes. And not only did he look dapper in his custom suit, but the inscription also made a timely statement. Following the Oscar nomination announcements on Thursday, it was noted that there were only Caucasian contenders named in the Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress categories. In response to the whitewashing, #OscarsSoWhite and #WhiteOscars trended on social media; with many calling particular attention to the fact that Selma hadn’t received enough recognition from the Academy, and especially for snubbing director Ava DuVernay.
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"We’re just going to keep plugging away," the 38-year-old told Entertainment Tonight. “The only way to put a dent in the very real fact that there is a disproportionate amount of people who do not look like me doing what I do is something that I’m just going to fight by doing the best I can with the roles I get.”
