While John Legend is a Grammy winning singer, he also is heavily involved in charitable and philanthropic efforts. His The Show Me Campaign, through which his fans are encouraged to donate funds toward improving the living situations and prospects of victims of extreme poverty in Mbola, Tanzania, is an example of John’s charitable involvement. In early 2008, he began touring with Professor Jeff Sachs of Columbia University’s Earth Institute to promote sustainable development as an achievable goal. He participated in a Christmas Eve benefit in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio where all proceeds went to a scholarship fund set up in his name for local high schoolers.
After reading Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ book, The End of Poverty, John Legend was inspired to visit Ghana to learn more about making life better for the people who live under the poverty line. This is when he started his “Show Me Campaign” in 2007. Legend was the spokesman for GQ Magazine’s “Gentlemen’s Fund” and also partnered with Tide laundry detergent to raise awareness about the need of families in St. Bernard Parish one of the most devastated areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. On September 8, 2010, John Legend joined the national board of Teach for America. Legend also sits on the boards of The Education Equality Project and the Harlem Village Academies, and serves as co-chair (with Rupert Murdoch) of the Harlem Village Academies’ National Leadership Board. The list goes on and on.
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