Stevie Wonder feels deeply troubled about the state of the nation, which he addressed in a new YouTube video on Wednesday (Sept. 23) as part of his “The Universe Is Watching Us” series.
His seven-minute announcement arrives just hours after a decision made by a grand jury in Kentucky, who indicted one police officer with first-degree wanton endangerment charges that do not address the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who was killed in her Louisville, Ky. home on March 13. No officers were charged for the killing of Taylor specifically.
Louisville city officials announced last Tuesday (Sept. 15) that Taylor’s family will receive a $12 million settlement, but the 70-year-old hitmaker believes “no amount of money has ever brought a life back. Ask yourself, ‘Why so long for Breonna Taylor?’” Wonder wonders in the clip. “‘Why would we accept anyone [to] call a fallen soldier anything less than an ultimate hero?’”
Wonder posted the first “The Universe is Watching Us” video on June 23, when he denounced President Donald Trump and encouraged fans to vote him out come Nov. 3. This time around, he urged his viewers to seek truth and not put the country’s matters in the hands of fate, from racial injustice declared at protests to the upcoming election and its mail-in ballot safeguard. And for a piece of memorable advice, the “Superstition” singer advised fans to heed the late civil rights leader and Rep. John Lewis’ words, “Do good trouble.”
“And for me, good trouble is bringing our nation, this nation, back together again. And the way we do that is to vote justice in and injustice out. We just can’t put November in the hands of fate. But we can put it in our hands. The universe is still watching us. And now,” the teary-eyed singer declared, “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is watching us, too.”
Watch Wonder’s whole video message below.
