Common hopes We Day will inspire the next generation

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Young people from around the Chicago area are doing good work every day, and this past spring they got rewarded for it when they attended a star-studded event for "We Day."

Students had to earn the right to attend the youth empowerment event through community service.

ABC7 Eyewitness News' Cheryl Burton sat down recently with Academy Award winner Common to find out why he joined the movement and says it's a "must-see."

From humble beginnings in Chicago to a cozy spot on the world's stage, Common says it is his mission to inspire the next generation.

"I want them to be like 'man, this dude from 87th street on the South Side and he got an Oscar,'" Common says. "I do feel great about that, that's an achievement for me as an artist. But the bigger purpose of that is to create more access so that I can do more, so that the kids at We Day can say 'man, that dude won an Oscar. I can win an Oscar.'"

For him, We Day offered the perfect setting to motivate young minds.

"You just feel the energy because the kids, they were charged, they were, you know, turnt up about it the whole time," he says.

For all of the star-power radiating from the All State Arena, Common says it is the students who shine the brightest.

"I was really enthused and inspired by how enthused the kids were about helping other people, like, you know, helping other kids, like the fact that everybody in there, all the young people in there made an effort and made a plan and have worked toward helping other people, that made me feel good because it's just like, a lot of those kids, some of those kids are dealing with their own challenges and struggles, so to be able to say 'no matter what I'm still going to reach out to people no matter what situation I'm in too is just...you could feel their enthusiasm. I left there and I was about to go do some work and I just left there with a good energy and good thoughts," he said.

We Day will broadcast nationally, commercial-free, Friday night. It will air on ABC7 at 7 p.m.

The show will feature Jennifer Hudson, Common, Selena Gomez, the band Perry, Tyrese Gibson, Demi Lovato and Macklemore.