John Legend took to the dais at Bethel AME Church in Scranton like a Sunday preacher.
The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist's sermon was simple. Only one candidate running for president has the community in mind.
“Today we've got the power to show up and make a difference for our people. We have the power to select our leaders," he said. "We can choose leaders ready to act on behalf of our communities, people who know what we need and are ready to make it happen."
He was home again.
Legend was the choir and music director for the small 154-year-old church from 1995 to 2004. He returned Sunday to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris. Legend was joined by Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti and encouraged residents to vote this Tuesday. He also highlighted the vice president’s New Way Forward agenda.
Scranton roots
When Legend was a student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, he would drive to Scranton on the weekends to work at the church. After he graduated, he would come from New York City. Legend left his role at Bethel as his career as a recording artist began.
On Sunday, he sat in the front row of pews. Legend nodded along with the music, sang with the congregation and prayed with them.
A sister in the church asked the visitors to stand. Legend joined them.
Now 45, he first walked in the church as a 16-year-old.
"I'm so happy to be back. So many memories are rushing back to me," he said.
Legend talked about growing up in a church similar to Bethel in Springfield, Ohio, and the devastating loss of grandmother, who he called “the heartbeat of it all.”
“But my grandmother taught me that when something unexpected happens, you don't just sit there frozen. You let yourself feel the emotion, but then you channel it into something beautiful," he said.
At both the church, and at his next stop at the Black Scranton Project’s headquarters in North Scranton, Legend talked about Harris's plans to increase the minimum wage, bring down the cost of living and close the racial wealth gap.
"This isn't just about survival, it's about lifting up everybody so families can build lasting security," he said.
The father of four called for a fair and compassionate justice system and for a better future for children.
“We want every child, no matter where they live, no matter their zip code, no matter their families, income or status, to receive the education and the support they deserve so that they can have an opportunity to grow up and prosper,” Legend said.
“We want every child, no matter where they live, no matter their zip code, no matter their families, income or status, to receive the education and the support they deserve so that they can have an opportunity to grow up and prosper,” he said. “We need leaders who will do more than make campaign promises, leaders who will make real commitments to our communities, to our children and to building the future we all want to see.”
The small congregation was captivated by his speech, yelling out amens and nodding in agreement.
Mid-sermon, he asked the band for a B Flat. Legend sang a portion of gospel song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.”
At the Black Scranton Center for Arts and Culture, founder and CEO Glynis Johns introduced Legend to the small crowd of about 30 people.
Johns, a local historian, said proud Black Scrantonians in the early 1900s organized political clubs to ensure that every eligible Black resident in the city was ready to vote.
“They were out here fighting to make their voices heard and supporting each other to get to the polls if they could do that over a century ago, in a world much, much tougher than today's. There's no reason we can't turn out in droves now, voting isn't just a right, it's a responsibility," she said.
Before leaving Scranton, Legend visited On & On, a vintage store with a massive record collection, and The Retro Cafe in the Pine Brook section of the city.
At the cafe, Legend, who was now out of the suit he wore to church and in a sweater and jeans, sat on a black leather couch taking questions from local reporters.
Scranton and the whole state of Pennsylvania will play a major role on election day Tuesday, he said.
"I wanted to remind all my folks at Bethel AME Church and community members here in Scranton of the power that each of them have and make sure they use that power," he said. “So many things that affect our daily lives are influenced by who we vote for and the leaders we put in place, and we want leaders who are thinking about the needs of everyday people.”
Candidates last minute push
Harris and her Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, are tied in Pennsylvania, according to polls. Both candidates are making last minute stops in the swing state.
Trump, who held a rally in Lititz on Sunday, will visit Reading and Pittsburgh on Monday.
In Lancaster County, the former president asked voters in Pennsylvania again to make him leader of a “failed nation” while also unleashing a profane, conspiracy-laden rant asserting U.S. elections are not legitimate in the first place, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Harris, who appeared on Saturday Night Live, campaigned in Detroit on Sunday.
She told a predominately Black church congregation that God offers America a “divine plan strong enough to heal division," according to AP.
She will make her first campaign stop in Scranton on Monday before heading to Philadelphia for a rally and concert where Legend will perform.
