Ahead of his upcoming concert Monday evening in Atlanta, musician John Legend made a stop downtown to speak with voters about the importance of casting a ballot in this presidential election.
“It’s hard sometimes to see the path between my single vote and what’s going to happen in my life and the life of people in my community,” he said. “But all these things affect all of us, and so we’ve got to be wise with our vote and know that our vote means something, and that we are powerful, especially here in Georgia.”
Legend, a 12-time Grammy Award-winning artist, will be performing in Alpharetta as part of “A Night of Songs and Stories” with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
During the 20-minute conversation, moderated by Mary-Pat Hector, a community organizer, Legend told the audience that he wants to help Americans transcend political differences and dissolve polarizing boundaries.
“When we tell stories, when we write music, when we create film projects that help us see each other, get to know each other better, it helps improve the conversation and helps change people’s minds,” he said.
Before the event, Legend visited ZuCot Gallery, the largest Black-owned fine art gallery in the Southeast, located in Castleberry Hill. There he perused the gallery’s current exhibition, “Heritage in Hues,” a collection of paintings from artist Esther Mahlangu, co-curated by ZuCot and Hassan K. Smith, a longtime member of Legend’s management team.
This isn’t Legend’s first appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. Last month, he sang several songs as part of a tribute to the late musician Prince at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. That same month, he endorsed Harris for president.
Speaking to an audience of about 75 people at The Gathering Spot, Legend said this election is particularly important to him because of his daughters, Luna and Esti. He said he wants to make sure they grow up in a world with access to reproductive care, including abortion.
“When we elect Kamala Harris to be the president of the United States, she could be in a position to — with a Democratic Congress and a Democratic Senate — to protect reproductive rights … for everybody’s daughters out there,” he said.
Polling for congressional candidates is equally divided, although Republicans may have some advantages in states such as Montana and West Virginia to win the Senate.
Legend’s wife, model Chrissy Teigen, is of Thai descent, making their children Black and Asian American, like Harris.
“She’s seeing up on the platform somebody that reminds her of herself,” he said. “I’m inspired by that, and I’m excited by the idea that she can see a president that looks like her.”
He closed by encouraging audience members to talk with their friends and family about making sure they vote.
“Be aware of how powerful you are. Each of you is so powerful and can make a difference in the lives of everybody in this state, but also in the whole country,” he said.
Senior Editor Mike. Jordan contributed to this article.
