In this Dec. 22, 2014 image taken from video, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., discusses the historical drama “Selma” and civil rights in the United States during an interview in Atlanta. Forty-nine years after Lewis and other marchers tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., memories of “Bloody Sunday” are still vivid in his mind. It was one of the defining moments of the civil rights era. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz)

Josh Lederman, ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oprah Winfrey and the rapper Common are joining President Barack Obama for a special screening of the film “Selma.”

The White House says Obama and the first lady are hosting the screening in the White House’s Family Theatre. The film’s cast members are attending, as is civil rights leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis.

The drama produced by Winfrey chronicles the campaign leading up to the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The film has sparked controversy over its depiction of President Lyndon B. Johnson as foot-dragging on voting rights legislation, rather than collaborating with Martin Luther King Jr.

“Selma” has been nominated for two Oscars, in the categories of best picture and best original song.
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