John Legend to promote charity campaign, perform at SU
IF YOU GO
What: John Legend’s Show Me Campaign
Where: Goldstein Auditorium
When: Sept. 23, 8 p.m.
How Much: $10 for students, $20 for faculty
Five-time Grammy award-winning artist John Legend will speak in Goldstein Auditorium Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. in an effort to inspire students to get involved with charities.
Legend will talk about his own philanthropic effort, the Show Me Campaign, which raises money for sub-Saharan Africa. He will perform a few songs as well.
‘John is hired as a speaker, so the event will be closer to a speech than a concert,’ said Drew Sullivan, the performing arts director for University Union. ‘But he knows people love his voice and his music, so he will be performing songs throughout the evening.’
Tickets will go on sale Monday when the Schine Box Office opens at 11 a.m. Tickets will be $10 for students and $20 for faculty and staff.
‘I’ve done a research project on Darfur, so I’d go as much for the performance as I would to hear what he had to say,’ said Darius Rose, a sophomore sports management major.
UU co-partnered with SU’s chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Society of Black Engineers to bring Legend to campus.
The planning for Legend’s appearance began last spring and was finalized earlier this summer. Legend was chosen to come to campus because UU felt his work with the Show Me Campaign would motivate students, said UU president Darren Goldberg.
‘I think if he touches on his own experiences, that will motivate,’ Goldberg said. ‘I think the best way to get something across is to have someone speak who has already done it.’
Legend created the Show Me Campaign after he was inspired by a song he wrote, ‘Show Me,’ which questioned why there is so much suffering in the world. Legend then teamed up with Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor who wrote ‘The End of Poverty’ and runs his own anti-poverty organization, the Millennium Promise.
The Show Me Campaign aims to end poverty in sub-Saharan Africa through promoting sustainable development at the individual, family and community levels. All of the funds raised by the campaign currently go to the village of Mbola, Tanzania, but he hopes to expand his efforts.
Legend has also participated in other humanitarian efforts, including the Live Earth concert and Gap’s (Project Red) campaign.
– Asst. News Editor Abram Brown contributed reporting to this article.
Published on September 13, 2009 at 12:00 pm
