#MusicMonday: We Can Thank Stevie Wonder for MLK Day

I was tempted to just let MLK come and go, like any other day. But, a video interview of George Lucas changed my mind. Lucas was struggling to explain why it was so difficult to get support for his most recent film Red Tails, which features an all black cast. It was obvious that the lack of a prominent white actor was a major hindrance to the advancement of what looks like a very promising film. “Really?” I thought to myself, “In 2012?” Yeah. I know that all people groups have their struggles and privileges—today is the day I’m challenged to not take Dr. King’s dream for granted. America is still divided by lines of color. It’s only appropriate to celebrate the progress we’ve made, and to remember that we still have a long way to go. I think sometimes people mistake the song above as just the “Black People Version” of Happy Birthday; but it was actually a part of Stevie Wonder’s campaign to make Martin Luther King’s Birthday a national holiday—a testimony that even artists can use their gifts to effect real change in the world. Thank you, Dr. King. Thank you, Stevie Wonder.