Before filling his home with Emmy, Tony, Grammy and Academy awards, John Legend spent nine years as music director at Bethel AME in downtown Scranton.
Former “Sexiest Man in the World” and “The whole self” the singer returned on Sunday afternoon, visiting the Black Scranton Project Arts and Cultural Center for get-out-the-vote canvassing and calling on people to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“I spent a wonderful morning at Bethel AME Church and it was very nice to be back at that church and among so many people I have known for a long time,” he said. “I told them today that the first time I visited Scranton I was 16 years old. I’m 45, so it’s been a long time. My relationship with Scranton has spanned 29 years, and I am very grateful to everyone in this community who has welcomed and supported me.”
He mentioned that the church bought him a Honda Accord while he commuted to Scranton from Philadelphia and New York on weekends.
“This city showed me a lot of love, always welcomed me and took good care of me,” he said. The legend campaigned for Harris in Philadelphia last week, appearing with Bruce Springsteen and former President Barack Obama.
Sabrina Guzman was excited about Legend’s appearance. Although she is vice president of the local community group Giving Back to the Community, Guzman has never voted.
She said she planned to vote for Harris because they share the same values.
“She is balanced,” Guzman said. “She’s not arrogant.”
Guzman wasn’t the only person who found inspiration in Legend’s message.
Even though she can’t vote yet, 17-year-old Ella Cohen was joyful to see Legend in person.
“I thought it was really inspiring that someone with ties to Scranton came back and collected votes,” she said. “We may be a small town, but everyone counts.”
Glynis Johnsfounder of the Black Scranton Project, said the Legends are just one example of the importance of Black people in Scranton’s history.
“John Legend returns to us not only as a guest, but also as family. It has been a part of Black Scranton since the beginning,” she said. “Not only John Legend, but there are so many amazing people who are so important to the city of Scranton and no one even thinks that black people live here. We’ve been here for generations. We were fundamental.”
Among the photos and stories about the Center’s renowned black residents are several portraits of a newborn John Legend playing music in the area.
Johns told the crowd how critical it was to get out and vote, something people had been fighting for for decades. She mentioned the Black community in Scranton in the early 1900s.
“If they could have done this over a hundred years ago, in a world much more difficult than today, there is no reason why we couldn’t just get out now. Voting is not only a right, it is a responsibility we bear for those who came before us. This is a chance to build the future we dreamed of.”
Legend touched on a similar idea in his speech.
“I believe policy matters because if you elect a person who goes to work every day thinking about your needs, if you choose a person who goes to work every day thinking about how they can make your prescription drugs cheaper , Your health care will be cheaper, your health care is cheaper, your housing is cheaper, and if you go to the polls to elect someone who will do this for you, your family and your community, you can change your life and the lives of other people around you,” he said. “On Tuesday in Pennsylvania, we will have the opportunity to make history.
I’m excited about this opportunity.”
