Standing on His Own

Like many celebrities, Stevie Wonder used the public stage to voice his opinions. Black and white race relations in America were not good in the 1970s. Stevie became outspoken when police shootings of black youths occurred in different American cities. He also lashed out when United States president Richard Nixon cut programs that were helping poor African Americans across the country. Stevie tried as best he could to show that social improvement was good for all races in America. If people understood each other's opinions, wishes, and dreams, there was a chance they could all get along.

“To my way of thinking,” Stevie said, “there are many ways of being handicapped, and they certainly aren't all physical. And the real biggest handicap I see around me every day is in people who lack a sense of communication.”