Stevie Wonder is encouraging young people to take action and vote in the upcoming presidential election.
The musician joined the #SpeakYourVote campaign with video clip that sees him saying, “Please be brave enough to speak your vote.” It features a short instrumental song where fans can record their own version using TikTok’s “Duet” feature or the “Remix” feature on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
“A lot of young people today are turned off by divisiveness,” Dr. Arvizu, founder of Civic Wisdom Foundation, who launched #SpeakYourVote, said in a statement. “They want to work towards common ground, as Stevie Wonder invites us in to his heartfelt track.”
A press release notes, “In a time when every vote counts, the #SpeakYourVote movement highlights the power and influence of the nearly 113 million eligible voters from Gen Z and millennials, who together represent almost half of the total voting population. Their voices are crucial to shaping the nation’s future; however, historically, voter turnout among these groups has been low, and this campaign aims to change that by creating a platform where art meets activism.”
Music fans can join Wonder’s #SpeakYourVote verse challenging by visiting the #SpeakYourVote TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube pages.
Wonder has been outspoken about the election recently, taking the opportunity at his recent Madison Square Garden concert to voice a few political concerns. “I want you to show me a picture of people eating dogs and cats,” he said. “To have been given the gift of being a leader means that the Most High has given you the responsibility of living in the light of truth… I believe that America is great only because we of all various ethnicities, everyone has made it so.”
Earlier this month, the musician endorsed Kamala Harris as the next president in a 90-second political ad. “I was excited about Kamala years before people knew who she was,” Wonders said in the clip. “I’m very happy for the future. I’m very happy because I know and believe that she will be the next president of these United States.”
Back in August, Wonder also spoke and performed at the Democratic National Convention, encouraging the audience to “choose courage over complacency” followed by his 1973 track “Higher Ground.”
Harris is also a longtime friend and fan of Wonder’s music. In 2019, Harris called Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life her favorite album of all time, and the following year she honored Wonder with a birthday post that called him a “living legend and longtime hero of mine.”
