Stevie Wonder has said that he will boycott the state of Florida until its “Stand Your Ground” self-defence law is overturned.
The soul legend made the announcement at a concert in Canada’s Quebec City last Sunday following the controversial acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder case.
"I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again,” Wonder told the audience. “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 [loved ones] in the battle for justice . . . we can't bring them back. What we can do is 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."
Wonder’s protest is one of many among artists who have expressed their outrage at the Zimmerman verdict including Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.
