During Apartheid in South Africa, African Americans and others were a part of a campaign to divest from the country. Government sanctions were not the only U.S. entity to pull out of a relationship with South Africa, many people, especially African Americans, and students from all types of colleges, via various organizations, stopped supporting those companies with South African interests.
Stevie Wonder has been a crusader for justice for many years for every humanitarian and civil rights effort imaginable. He was a central figure in supporting the holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King on his birthday by creating one of the most popular songs in history. But now his focus is on the Trayvon Martin murder and acquittal of George Zimmerman. He now vows that we won’t have to worry about spending another dollar on one of his shows in Florida because there won’t be any.
“The truth is that for those that we 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….I decided today that until the stand your ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again,” said the legendary singer during a performance in Quebec.
That was his reaction after hearing the verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial. But he added that he would not perform in any state that has the law. He knows better than anyone that divesting from South Africa, I mean, Florida, is key to seeing laws change to protect and honor all of its residents. Divest from Florida! Listen to him in his own words below.