Stevie Wonder has announced he will not perform in Florida or any other state where the Stand Your Ground law exists. The statement from the legendary singer follows the acquittal of George Zimmerman this past weekend - a decision that cleared him of all charges in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. As people search for more effective ways to respond to the verdict - a decision many feel was a gross miscarriage of justice - Stevie Wonder has stepped forward to make a bold statement against the state that champions the controversial law that ultimately helped George Zimmerman's legal team to build a successful defense against his role in the death of a child. Stevie Wonder made this announcement during a performance in Quebec City over the weekend:
"I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again," he continued "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.""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," he said. "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."
Stevie Wonder's announcement arrived as peaceful protests were sprouting across the nation to express widespread public dissent to the decision handed down in the Florida courtroom where George Zimmerman's fate was being decided. Stevie Wonder's act of protest is the latest in a string of celebrity responses to the verdict, which has outraged many who consider the killing of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent acquittal of George Zimmerman to be racially motivated. Take a look at the footage of Stevie Wonder's announcement below.
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