BHM: John Legend

Besides being a multiplatinum-selling artist and the first African American man to earn an EGOT, John Legend initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign in 2015 to shift the conversation around US criminal justice policies and assist in ending mass incarceration. For Black History Month 2020, Legend provided an exclusive playlist to Apple Music featuring songs that span both his own personal experience and his appreciation for master-level musicianship. “This is a playlist that features some of my favorite songs of revolution, inspiration, pride, and love, from black artists throughout the diaspora and across genres and eras,” Legend says. “‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black’ is one of the quintessential songs from this list. Several of the greatest soul artists like Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway, and Aretha Franklin have performed it, and that may as well be the name of this playlist.”