LOS ANGELES � Common and Andra Day's performance of "Stand Up for Something" was among the most poignant moments of Sunday's Academy Awards as the pair were joined by nearly a dozen activists.
In recent months the powerful record _ lifted from last year's "Marshall" and up for original song _ has taken on a life of its own as a potent anthem of resilience. It has been used as a rallying cry for the gun violence prevention movement and was a cornerstone of the L.A. Women's March, and the People's State of the Union in New York City, and was used to raise awareness on immigration rights.
For Sunday's performance Day and Common wanted to spotlight 10 individuals working to create change, including the founder of the #MeToo movement and activists from a myriad of causes.
"If it's one thing I learned from being a part of 'Selma' is that, an activist is someone who lives their life for what they believe in and works for that cause everyday," Common said in a statement before the show. "The activists we asked to join us on stage are people who have dedicated their lives to making the world better. For some because their own personal experiences have driven them to this place, and some because they've seen the injustices going on in the world and felt they had to take action."
Added Day: "I am truly honored to share the stage with such powerful people. People who work, sacrifice and have fought through their personal pain to make the world a better place. ... Common and I wanted to show people who are working everyday in the trenches to transform perceptions, circumstances, legislation, social and political landscapes, and bring hope to the hopeless."
Here's a breakdown of everyone who appeared onstage alongside the performers:
Alice Brown Otter, the 14-year-old who was a prolific voice of the #NoDAPL movement. In the summer of 2016, she ran 1,519 miles from Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to the front steps of the Army Corps of Engineers office in Washington, D.C., to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Patrisse Cullors, queer activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bana Alabed, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo, who tweeted during the siege of the city in 2016. The 8-year-old penned a book, "Dear World: A Syrian Girl's Story of War and Plea for Peace" about her experience, which J.K. Rowling describes as "a story of love and courage amid brutality and terror."
Bryan Stevenson, the director of the Equal Justice Initiative and the author of "Just Mercy." Stevenson and EJI won relief for scores of people wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced.
Cecile Richards, a lifelong activist for women's rights and social justice, including more than a decade as president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement.
Dolores Huerta, the president and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Huerta also co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez in 1962. She has received numerous awards, among them the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Janet Mock, the New York Times bestselling author of two memoirs, "Redefining Realness" and "Surpassing Certainty," books that broke ground by centering her journey as a young trans woman. Mock spoke at the Women's March on Washington and founded #GirlsLikeUs, a project that empowers trans women. Mock is also the first trans woman of color to write and produce for television as she's working on Ryan Murphy's upcoming series "Pose."
Jose Andres, who was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, Outstanding Chef and Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. He served more than 3.3 million meals in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria last year, reaching communities in need across all 78 municipalities through 23 kitchens. Andres' work has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. She is the founder and managing director for Sandy Hook Promise, the national non-profit organization founded and led by several family members who lost loved ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
