John Legend to Speak at U of A, Will Discuss Education, Activism

Photo Submitted

John Legend

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – John Legend is more than a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer who has sold millions of albums worldwide in the last 10 years.

He is also an informed social activist who uses his fame, his philanthropy and his music to address issues of education, poverty, sustainability and health, both in the United States and around the world.

Legend will emphasize these social concerns when he appears at the University of Arkansas at 7 p.m. Monday, April 29, in Barnhill Arena as part of the student-sponsored Distinguished Lecture Series. “An Evening with John Legend” is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required. Doors will open for students at 6 p.m., and for the general public at 6:15 p.m.

Legend, whose given name is John Roger Stephens, is from Springfield, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999. At the height of his musical popularity he launched the Show Me Campaign, a nonprofit organization to fight poverty around the world. He also joined the national board of Teach for America, a nonprofit that recruits top college graduates and professionals to teach in low-income communities throughout the country. Legend also supports several other education organizations.  

He has toured with members of Columbia University’s Earth Institute to promote sustainable development, and supports the Boston-based Millennium Campus Network, which seeks to combine anti-poverty and sustainability projects. Legend received the 2009 CARE Humanitarian Award for Global Change, the 2010 BET Humanitarian of the Year award, two NAACP Image Awards and has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

Legend also uses his music to promote his social concerns. He has given numerous benefit performances to support causes such as the fight against HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world, relief for victims of the Haitian earthquake, voting rights in America, and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

He will continue that tradition at the University of Arkansas, closing his lecture by performing four of his songs.

“As a committee, we always look for speakers who can educate and challenge our students and community members,” said Autumn Lewis, co-chair of the Distinguished Lecture Series committee. “We also hope that they will provide an entertaining experience. With John Legend, we feel that he meets both criteria and we are delighted to bring him to campus."Distinguished Lecture Series speakers are chosen by a committee of students, faculty and staff, and the events are funded by a student-approved fee, appropriated by the Programs Allocation Board.