John Legend will give 2021 commencement speech at Duke University in May

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Duke University is planning a Legend-ary graduation ceremony for 2021 graduates.

John Legend, the singer, songwriter, actor, producer, philanthropist and “The Voice” judge is coming to Durham to give Duke’s undergraduate commencement address on May 2 in Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke will also award Legend an honorary degree during the outdoor, in-person ceremony, the university announced Tuesday.

“Hello, Duke Class of 2021, what a year we’ve all had,” Legend said in a video announcement with soft piano music playing in background. “But you’ve made it through, you’re about to graduate, and I’m coming to Durham.”

“Let’s celebrate in an extraordinary way, for this extraordinary accomplishment, in these extraordinary times,” Legend said, subtly singing. “I’ll see you in May.”

Legend is the first African-American man to achieve “EGOT” distinction after earning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. His single “All of Me,” which was dedicated to his wife, Chrissy Teigen, was a Billboard No. 1 hit when it was released in 2013 and remains one of his biggest hits. The song is currently tied as the highest certified track in the history of the Recording Industry Association of America.

This isn’t the first time Legend has been to Duke’s campus. He performed with Kanye West during the last day of classes concert in 2004.

Legend also works to lift the voices and talents of others, particularly people of color, through the Get Lifted Film Co. that he co-founded and as a coach on “The Voice” since 2019.

In addition to recognizing Legend’s performing career, Duke highlighted his work as a philanthropist and supporter of criminal justice reform.

In 2014, Legend founded the nonprofit FREEAMERICA, a campaign to amplify the conversation about mass incarceration in America in an effort to transform the criminal justice system.

Legend serves on the boards of directors of Harlem Village Academies and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and on the advisory boards of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Teach for All.

“We are thrilled to have John Legend serve as our speaker at undergraduate commencement — and to have such an extraordinary group of honorary degree recipients, each of whom have made transformational contributions to our understanding of the world,” Duke President Vincent Price said in a statement. “I know that their example will excite and inspire our graduates, and I look forward to welcoming them on May 2.”

At the ceremony, Duke will award four other individuals honorary degrees who have “devoted their careers to advocating for civil rights, addressing domestic violence, advancing African American history and protecting the environment.”

They are:

Civil rights leader and activist Barbara Arnwine.

Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Professor Jacquelyn Campbell.

Harvard University Professor of History and of African and African American Studies Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham.

former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency William K. Reilly.

Duke was the first local university to announce plans for an in-person graduation ceremony. Undergraduate students who have been regular participants in Duke’s COVID-19 testing surveillance program will be able to attend, but their families won’t.

N.C. State University is hosting an in-person ceremony at Carter-Finley Stadium in May, where NFL quarterback Russell Wilson will give the commencement speech.

UNC-Chapel Hill graduates will hear virtual speeches from COVID-19 experts Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a Carolina alumna, at in-person commencement ceremonies at Kenan Stadium in May.