MUSIC LEGEND PLANS ON BOYCOTTING FLORIDA IN PROTEST OF TRAYVON MARTIN'S UNFAIR JUSTICE AND VERDICT

Motown Legend Stevie Wonder is known for his classic hits, but he's also known for his activism and fights for justice and equality, and he, like many are upset over the injustice that Trayvon Martin received two days ago. Martin was racially profiled, stalked, attacked and killed by George Zimmerman, a guy who is of White and Hispanic heritage, who was part of the neighborhood watch in the area where he lived at, who saw Martin 17 walking and assumed he was a trouble maker called 911 and referred to him as a coon and a punk, and despite being told by the dispatcher to stay in the car and wait for the police to arrive decided to take matters in his own hands and follow him which resulted in a physical altercation and Trayvon who told his girlfriend over the phone that he was being followed wound up being shot and killed. Zimmerman claimed it was self-defense and used the Stand Your Ground law as an excuse for his actions. Zimmerman was found not-guilty and while there were many people including boguie Blacks who support him, there are many more people who feel that Trayvon didn't get the justice he deserved, including Wonder, who decided made an announcement during a concert; that until the Stand Your Ground Law is abolished, he will not perform in the state of Florida.

“For those who may have lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world… we can’t bring them back…  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.  As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.

“Because when I do know is that people know that my heart is of love for everyone.  When I say everyone, I mean everyone.  As I said earlier, you can’t just talk about it.  You have to be about it.  We can make change by coming together for the spirit of unity.  Not in destruction, but in perpetuation of life itself.” Stevie Wonder at his concert in Qubec.

The Award winning Legend has took part in many political protests for many decades. His 1974 top charting classic "You Haven't Done Nothing" was directed at the President Nixon scandal and his 1980 radio hit "Happy Birthday" was dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, and was a theme he used to help have the slain Civil Rights Leader have his birthday made into an national holiday. He also was very active in helping get apartheid abolished in South Africa and when he won his Oscar for his classic "I Just Called To Say I Love You" he dedicated his win to South African Activist Nelson Mandela who was in prison for fighting for equality. The South African government was pissed, and had planned to boycott Wonder's music because of his protest and support of Mandela. Wonder wasn't pressed or phrased at all. "If my being banned means people will be free, ban me mega-times" Wonder told United Press International. Stevie also lend support for his friend and former label-mate Michael Jackson when he was falsely charged of child molestation, especially after Rapper Enemem released a song and video "Just Lose It" which made mockery of MJ's trial, facial features and the burns he suffered while shooting a Pepsi commercial with his 5 brothers. Stevie called the video as 'kicking a man while he's down and bullshit.' BET stopped airing the video, and while the Slim Shady rapper continued to sell albums and win awards, his sales hasn't been as strong due to their song and protests. Stevie also went after Lil' Wayne for dissing the legacy of slain teenager Emmit Till in a remix on Rapper Future's single "Karate Chop" which featured Weezy's line 'Beat the pussy like Emmit Till.' Many Blacks were upset at the verse considering the fact that Till was killed for allegedly whistling at a White woman in the south which was segregated at the time."You can't equate that to Emmett Till," Wonder said. "You just cannot do that. ... I think you got to have someone around you that – even if they are the same age or older – is wiser to say, `Yo, that's not happening. Don't do that.' Future's label removed that part of the verse from the song and issued an apology while Lil' Wayne's endorsement with Mountain Dew ended because of the lyrics. Stevie Wonder has always put his talent to good use and always stood up for equality, and with Stevie boycotting Florida and other states that has the Stand Your Ground laws, he will continue to show others how to protest by taking the Higher Ground, while fans in those states will have to rely on listening to his music, missing out to see a talented guy who is for equality. This will let people know that certain things will no longer be tolerated.

This post is dedicated to the memory of Trayvon Martin and to others victims and survivors of Racism, Sexism, Classism and homophobia.

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