John Legend stays on the frontline shedding light on many American atrocities. The singer recently launched a new initiative called HumanLevel to uplift communities disproportionately impacted by institutionalized racism. The new program will work with local government officials and community members to create projects that address immediate needs at the city and local level while advocating for more equitable policies at a local, state, and federal level.
This national initiative includes an executive fellowship program, in partnership with FUSE Corps, a national nonprofit with a decade of experience in the field. HumanLevel will place executive fellows in 11 cities including; Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Durham, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oakland, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The areas collectively represent over 20 million people.
“We’ve started an initiative called HumanLevel where local governments have invited us to work on specific projects to make their communities stronger and more equitable. Many of the problems our country faces today are difficult to address at the federal level. Many issues are really at the doorstep of your mayor, your county council, and your community leaders coming together to answer questions about how we can support each other, keep each other safe, and rebuild our country in a way that truly includes everyone,” John Legend told the Associated Press.
The fellows will work with local communities to develop strategic impact projects designed to address immediate needs while working toward sustainable and equitable policies in the areas of jobs, housing, education, health, and the criminal justice system.
“Our goal with this partnership is to take a deeper look at the issues from a human level, with a focus on actions city leaders can take to tackle systemic racism. No single solution will fix the racial and ethnic disparities we see across issues — from housing to education to the workforce — but we must approach this work with a sense of collaboration and urgency,” Legend added to the AP.
One of HumanLevel’s key objectives is to address the shortage of affordable housing and its impact on family security and homelessness. The program will also allocate resources for healthcare and mental health programs.
