We were marching with petition signs to make Dr King's birthday a national holiday.'" In a 2011 interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Wonder said: "I said to her… 'I imagined in this dream I was doing this song. But then, in 1979, he shared a dream he had with King's widow, Coretta Scott King. For years, Wonder had quietly advocated for the holiday. But for 13 years, the bill languished, facing opposition from southern Democrats and conservative Republicans. But in fact, the global superstar's artistry and political activism were intertwined throughout his career, even before the MLK Day drive, as he repeatedly called attention to social issues of mid-century America.Īfter Dr King's assassination in April 1968, US Representative John Conyers Jr from Detroit, Michigan, and Wonder's congressman, introduced a bill to make the activist's birthday a federal holiday. Many today might be surprised to realise the instrumental role Stevie Wonder played in getting the legislation passed. This year marks the 40th anniversary of US President Ronald Reagan signing into law the bill that established Martin Luther King Day. For three years Wonder put his life on hold and dedicated tours, rallies and marches to bring his vision to life – a quest that would establish the first holiday in the US that honoured a black American. The 1980 song had represented the start of Wonder's campaign to make the birthday of renowned peace activist, Martin Luther King Jr, into a federal holiday. "I just never understood/ How a man who died for good/ Could not have a day that would/ Be set aside for his recognition," they sang, electrifying the crowd. The 50,000-strong audience chanted: "Martin Luther King Day, we took a holiday," according to Scott-Heron’s 2012 memoir, The Last Holiday, as the stars began to sing Wonder's hit song, Happy Birthday, a tribute to the murdered civil rights leader. Read that letter here and celebrate MLK Day with “Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder below.On 15 January 1981, music legends Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, along with the "godfather of rap", Gil Scott-Heron, joined renowned musician Stevie Wonder on stage at the National Mall in Washington, DC. It is just repeating and rewriting history, just as we have for the last four hundred years. Until what we say is what we do, there is no truth. Until we turn our mouth movement into righteous action, we’re doing our nation, God, and your memory an injustice. What we say has not been what we do, and this country must reconcile our words and deeds. I am sick that truth is struggling to be heard and defended. I am sick of lies and deceit that dominate our reality. I am sick of some people using God for a convenience rather than a commitment. I am sick that politicians try to find an easy solution to a four-hundred-year problem. For 36 years, we’ve had a holiday honoring your birthday and principles, yet you would not believe the lack of progress. It is painful to know that needle has not moved one iota. More than any award that I’ve ever received, I want you to know that I’m thankful how you influenced my place of love, which allowed me to try to push the needle of love and equality forward. I’ve been blessed to write songs of love, hope, and motivation-many of them inspired by your life. You were a true hero and became an inspiration. As Stevie Wonder remembered in his letter to MLK, King in which he contemplated how far things had come, and how far we still had to go to make his dream a reality. In 2021, he published an open letter to the late Dr. Wonder, now in his ’70s, continues to use his influence to move the fight for truth and equality forward. The fact that MLK Day exists points the ship in the right direction, but anyone who’s been paying attention knows that there is still an untold amount of work to be done in order to reach King’s storied dream for our country. on the third Monday of January, every January, and several generations of Americans have grown up learning his message. Both an unfiltered rebuke of MLK Day opponents and a contagious celebratory anthem, the song quickly became a sort of rallying cry for the campaign.Īs the song grew in popularity, so did the MLK Day movement. The song was later released as a single in the U.K. In 1980, Wonder, already a veteran creator of social justice-minded music, gave the campaign a boost with “Happy Birthday”. Despite widespread efforts, however, the holiday wasn’t signed into law until 1983, and wasn’t officially observed for the first time until 1986. The famed civil rights activist had been assassinated in 1968, and the campaign to mark his birthday, January 15th, with a national holiday began not long after. The track was born of more than a decade of frustration. in “Happy Birthday”, the final track on 1980’s Hotter Than July. “You know it doesn’t make much sense, there ought to be a law against anyone who takes offense at a day in your celebration,” Stevie Wonder wonders to the late Dr.
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