SEATTLE — John Legend is a global humanitarian in addition to being an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. He is helping to end world poverty through his music and various charitable donations and campaigns.
The Show Me Campaign
John Legend’s charitable contributions started when he founded The Show Me Campaign in 2007, which aims to break the cycle of global poverty by addressing systemic issues in the U.S. criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts poor, minority and disadvantaged people.
The Show Me Campaign is also helping to fight global poverty through education. Its mission is to ensure that all children attain a quality education in the hopes of bettering their future and giving every single child the opportunity to not only survive but also succeed.
Global Citizen
John Legend’s charitable contributions also include being a performer and supporter of the Global Citizen. Global Citizen is a movement of citizens who are using their voices and status to attempt to end extreme global poverty by 2030.
Legend contributes his time and money to this organization whether it is performing at The End of Polio Concert and the Global Citizen Festival or giving $200,000 to help fight harassment and $5,000 to help pay off school debt. The Global Citizen Festival is a festival where a few artists come together and perform on a stage for the common goal of starting a movement to end extreme global poverty. Hundreds of millions of dollars can be raised at an event like this.
House of Mandela Partnership
The Global Citizen partnered with the House of Mandela, an organization of Nelson Mandela’s descendants with the purpose of helping impoverished communities in Africa. John Legend’s charitable contributions with the House of Mandela include performing at the Global Citizen Festival that was held in South Africa in August 2018.
This event not only progressed the fight against global poverty but also marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of civil right’s icon and former South African president, Nelson Mandela. A mandate of the House of Mandela is to host a series of global events honoring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela and this concert was a way to do that. The organization’s goal was to raise $1 billion and it ended up raising $7.25 billion, which will help improve the lives of more than 121 million people.
One of The House of Mandela’s (HOM) goals is to work towards unity and compassion across global races, religions and genders. The House of Mandela’s goal is to improve the lives of Africa’s poverty-affected communities and globally advocate for social change through funding organizations and charities.
Legend told the CBS News regarding the concert “that we are all in this together, that we should at human beings who live across the world as our neighbors, as our brothers and sisters, and that we should do what we can to come together and end extreme poverty and make life more livable for people all around the world.” Legend, who is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King and Gandhi, continues to spread his message of love and unity. Legend is a strong believer in bringing people together to fight global poverty and building understanding through music.
By breaking the cycle of poverty through John Legend’s endeavors like The Show Me Campaign or partnerships with the Global Citizen and the House of Mandela, children may be able to fulfill their potential. John Legend does not only help fight global poverty through his own campaigns but also uses his celebrity to spread the news and get others involved.
– Ariel Deahl
Photo: Flickr