Did you know Stevie Wonder played an essential role in lobbying to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday? And now the “Superstition” singer is chronicling that fight in an upcoming documentary, produced by Wonder’s Eyes ‘n’ Sound production company and Time Studios.
“I felt the need for us to celebrate a man who spent his life fighting, fighting for those rights, the rights for equality, the rights for civil rights, the rights for justice, the rights for the things that we say that this nation stands for,” Wonder said during a MLK Day Impact Dinner, per Time Magazine.
Wanting people to understand the “commitment and responsibility” needed to fight for those rights, Wonder’s documentary highlights the inspiration that fueled a years-long campaign that led President Ronald Reagan to sign the bill establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday in 1983. Alongside rare, never-before-seen archival footage, the singer will offer personal insights into the journey, particularly surrounding his iconic “Happy Birthday” song, which was initially created to drive momentum behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s federal commemoration.
“I’m excited to tell the story of the making of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday,” said Wonder in a press release. “More importantly, I want us to learn and remember this story with today’s eyes and understanding. If we truly understood how this bill came to be, then we will really appreciate the power of the people.”
The untitled documentary, which is set to be released later this year, is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Traci Curry. Having directed documentary-style projects like “Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time” and “Attica,” Curry says the upcoming film is an “invitation for the audience to reconsider some very familiar aspects of our culture.”
“We find ourselves in a political moment in this country where the rights that Dr. King and the members of the civil rights movement fought so hard for are in peril, as is our very democracy,” she added, per Time magazine. “And I think we are in a moment where people are looking for a blueprint of what to do.”
Ultimately, the “Isn’t She Lovely” singer says he hopes the upcoming project inspires everyone, but especially other artists, to lead change.
“I can’t tell you what to do, but you better do the right thing,” he shared. “Do your research. Discover the truth. Truth is the light, and we, as people of this nation and all over the world, must remember that we hold the power, and we must use that power, the gift that we have, the opportunity that we have. Use that power to educate, motivate, and inspire the young people of today.”
