By Daniel Deep

When singer John Legend spoke at the O’Connell Center on Wednesday, he brought more than his musical acumen to the stage.

John Legend

The six-time Grammy winner opened the event with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” before discussing issues in education reform.  Armed with statistics proving how the U.S. education system is falling behind, Legend drove his points home, citing dropping graduation rates and making comparisons to other developed countries.

“Fixing education is the ultimate stimulus plan,” said Legend.

Legend also touched on the tragedy in Haiti, donating to UF’s United for Haiti relief effort. Members of the organization were allowed to collect donations, which the university athletic association vowed to match, up to $50,000.

“Give as much as you can tonight,” said Legend. “This was a free event, so you might as well spend a little money tonight. I’d like to believe that I’m worth it.”

Afterwards, Legend took part in a brief question-and-answer session, fielding questions from high school students and graduate assistants alike. He then performed seven songs, including hit single “Ordinary People,” and “Shine,” which will be featured in the education documentary “Waiting for Superman.”

He concluded his performance with a gentle reminder to the crowd of over 2,000 students on hand to encouraging them to remember those less fortunate than themselves.

“No matter what you do in your career, never forget about those who didn’t have the same opportunities as you. Find ways to serve, to contribute to America and to contribute to the world,” said Legend.

The event was sponsored by Student Government Productions and ACCENT, a student-run speaker’s bureau. According to Student Government Finance records, Legend was paid $90,000 to speak.