Stevie Wonder Boycotts Florida in Aftermath of Zimmerman Verdict
While some entertainers have dedicated songs or moments of silence to Trayvon Martin in the aftermath of George Zimmerman's acquittal, living legend Stevie Wonder went a step further — by boycotting the entire state of Florida.
In fact, during a Sunday night concert in Quebec City, Canada, Wonder told his audience that he will be boycotting all states that have "Stand Your Ground" laws on the books.
"I decided today that until the 'Stand Your Ground' law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again," he said on stage. "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."
By the Huffington Post's count, Wonder has just committed to staying out of at least 22 states which have Stand Your Ground laws similar to the one in Florida.
Though Stand Your Ground was not directly tested in the Zimmerman trial, as Ta-Nehisi Coates points out, the law was "explicitly mentioned in the jury instructions."
In announcing his plans to boycott the Sunshine State, Wonder asked his fans to join him in doing the same.
"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," 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."
[photo via AP]