Stevie Wonder has released a video message in honour of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, under the caption ‘The Universe is Watching Us.’
The video starts out fairly positively, with Wonder recounting how forty years ago he was marching in the “cold and snowy streets of Washington D.C.” to advocate for MLK’s birthday to become a public holiday. “Not just to honor this man of peace,” he said. “But to honor the principle of peace and unity.”
Stevie Wonder – ‘Happy Birthday’
He then appeared to take a swipe at former president Donald Trump, by emphasising he and other activists “peacefully entered the Capitol to explore ways to reach across the aisle” before recounting how MLK Day was passed into law. But about mid-way through the video, Wonder’s mood abruptly turned.
“Forty years later, we’re still toying with life and time as if we have forever to do something,” he said. “People, we don’t have time… Forty years, what have we done for the planet? How have we really helped each other? Where has poverty been eliminated, why are guns still protected, and why has hate been elevated?”
He said that it’s time for us to “grow the fuck up” and “get out of our virtual delusions that sell murder, mayhem, terrorism, and hate.”
“Dr. King, I wish I could say you were here,” he said. “But it feels like we did not deserve you then, and we’re not much better now. And people, I believe deep in my soul the universe is watching us — and she is pissed. But will we fix it? I hope so.”
You can watch the video below.
The Universe Is Watching Us
Here Is What I Know About The King Holiday pic.twitter.com/bpGJnpNtsu— Stevie Wonder (@StevieWonder) January 16, 2023
Wonder’s deep connection to MLK day and broader social activism is well-known. His track ‘Happy Birthday’ was produced in honour of MLK and played a central role during the campaign in the early ’80s to make the civil rights leader’s birthday a holiday. His contribution to the success of the campaign has been recognised by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
“I and a growing number of people believe that it is time for our country to adopt legislation that will make January 15, Martin Luther King’s birthday, a national holiday,” Wonder wrote on the album sleeve of 1980 album Hotter In July. “Both in recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder of the distance which still has to be travelled.”
Further Reading
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