Stevie Wonder gave a passionate speech to a crowd in Quebec City, Canada Sunday night, saying that he will no longer perform in Florida until its ‘Stand Your Ground’ law is abolished in protest of the George Zimmerman verdict. The Motown icon even said that he won’t perform in the other states that have similar laws.
“The truth is that—for those of you who've lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world—we can't bring them back,” Wonder told the crowd, reports Complex. “What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That's what I know we can do.”
“And I know I'm not everybody, I'm just one person. I'm a human being. And for the gift that God has given me, and from whatever I mean, I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again.”
Later, Wonder said that he would no longer perform in any of the states that still have Stand Your Ground Laws on the books.
“Because what I do know is that people know that my heart is of love for everyone. When I say everyone I mean everyone,” he said, adding that we can no longer just talk about the issues. “...You have to be about it. We can make change by coming together for the spirit of unity. Not in destruction, but in the perpetuation of life itself.”
According to The Los Angeles Times, if Wonder really does follow through with his promise, that would mean that he wouldn’t be able to perform in over 20 states.
Zimmerman, who claimed he used self defence, was found not guilty on Saturday night in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. You can see how other celebrities reacted to the verdict here.
image: CBS