John Legend To Provide Prisoners With Business Investment - Noise11.com
John Legend, Image, Ros O'Gorman

John Legend, Photo By Ros O'Gorman

John Legend To Provide Prisoners With Business Investment

by Music-News.com on May 12, 2017

in News

John Legend has launched a new initiative aimed at providing prison inmates with business opportunities.

John Legend announced plans for his Unlocked Futures investment fund at Town & Country magazine’s annual philanthropy summit in New York City on Tuesday (09May17).

John explained how he had partnered with social innovation charity New Fund and Bank of America to start the fund for ex-prisoners.

“We are doing this project, which is a social venture fund, with New Profit and Bank of America, and its purpose is investing in business and nonprofit ideas for people who have been incarcerated,” he told U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who interviewed him for the publication.

The 38-year-old told the politician that he felt those with criminal records struggled to find employment and that he wanted to provide funding for them to start businesses and community projects.

“We know that if they’re not working in the legitimate economy, then a lot of times they are going to be working in the illegitimate economy, and they’ll end up back in prison,” he explained. “So, one of the things we have been focused on is developing ways to encourage entrepreneurship in those communities, so that these people have an opportunity to start their own businesses, start their own nonprofits, and start contributing to the community instead of being dependent on another employer to hire them.”

The musician’s new venture is not the first time he’s helped America’s prison population; in 2015 he launched #FREEAMERICA, a campaign proposing reform of the U.S. criminal justice system.

music-news.com

Related Posts

Jason Aldean photo by Brian Higbee
Jason Aldean To Tour Australia For A Second Time

Jason Aldean will make his second trip to Australia as part of the Full Throttle world tour in 2026.

2 days ago
The White Stripes by Ewan Spencer supplied
The White Stripes Premiere ‘Red Rain’ Video

The White Stripes have premiered a video for the ‘Red Rain’ from the 20th anniversary edition of the 2005 album ‘Get Behind Me Satan’.

3 days ago
Karnivool by Tobias Sutter
Karnivool Premiere First Song In Four Years ‘Drone’

Karnivool have released ‘Drone’, their first new music in four years.

5 days ago
Killing Heidi
Killing Heidi and Little Birdy Have Number One and Two Vinyl Albums In Australia This Week

The 25th anniversary release of Killing Heidi’s ‘Reflector’ and the 20th anniversary release of Little Birdy’s ‘BigBigLove’ albums are the number one and number two vinyl selling albums in Australia this week.

5 days ago
Nick Littlemore and Ladyhawke Teenager
Nick Littlemore And Ladyhawke Share Teenager ‘Sail The Seas’

Teenager, the Nick Littlemore of PNAU and Empire of the Sun and Ladyhawke collaboration, has premiered their second song ‘Sail The Seas’.

June 25, 2025
Justin Timberlake - Photo By Ros O'Gorman
Justin Timberlake Closes Isle of Wight

Justin Timberlake brought The Isle of Wight Festival 2025 to a sensational close last night, delivering an epic, career-spanning headline performance that left over 55,000 festival-goers in a frenzy. With wife Jessica Biel watching from side stage, Timberlake ignited Seaclose Park with a relentless string of hits, including "SexyBack," "Cry Me A River," "Rock Your Body," and "My Love."

June 24, 2025
Beyonce in concert in Melbourne by Ros O'Gorman
Jay-Z Joins His Wife Beyonce In Concert In Paris

Beyoncé surprised fans by bringing out her husband, Jay-Z, for a performance during her show in Paris, France on Sunday night.

June 24, 2025