Stevland Hardaway Morris, soon known around the world as Motown music icon Stevie Wonder, was born to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. Being six weeks premature, Wonder was placed in an incubator where he eventually developed retinopathy of prematurity due to exorbitant oxygen levels, resulting in complete loss of vision. Despite his inability to see, Wonder taught himself to play a plethora of instruments, and his talent was soon discovered by Ronnie White and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. at the age of 11. During his 57 years as a musician, Stevie Wonder used his platform to draw attention to improving services for disabled people, supporting anti-apartheid efforts in South Africa and leading the campaign to mark Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. be a holiday in the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay It is indisputable that Stevie Wonder is a famous musician because he has amassed dozens of major hits and number one singles throughout his career, not to mention 25 Grammy Awards. It should also be known that Wonder is also a well-recognized philanthropist and humanitarian. In 2009, the United Nations appointed him as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a focus on advocacy for disabled people. In this role, in addition to using his own self-created platform, Wonder has drawn attention to improving services for people with disabilities around the world. An example of this includes his role in the approval of the Marrakesh Treaty. Convened by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the diplomatic conference to conclude a treaty to facilitate access to published works by visually impaired and print impaired persons took place in June 2013 in Marrakesh, in Morocco. The Department of Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco stated that "music legend Stevie Wonder has appealed to more than 600 negotiators from the 186 member states of the WIPO to conclude their discussions in the coming days and conclude a new international treaty.. ." In a video statement to negotiators, Wonder said: “We are on the cusp of an important historical moment. All of you – great minds representing governments around the world – have the opportunity to right a wrong,” continuing with: “The time has come… The blind and visually impaired of the world are counting on you. I'm counting on you. Don't disappoint me. But above all, please don't disappoint them." The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted by the international copyright community on June 27, 2013. In September, a few months after appealing to negotiators, Stevie Wonder met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and issued a statement on goals for people with disabilities. He said: “For society and development to be inclusive of people with disabilities, we must have equal access to education, knowledge and information,” adding that both countries lack technology and books in accessible formats for the blind . developed and developing countries. “I know that by working together we can create a world where people with disabilities face no limitations – and can freely live, work, enjoy life and contribute their talents to society… We must ensure that the real participation and voice of people with disabilities are included in everything we do for peace and development in the world." At the 57th Academy Awards in March 1985, Stevie Wonder received the Oscar for Best Original Song for “I JustCalled To Say I Love You” in the film The Woman in Red, which she accepted on behalf of Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela, imprisoned at the time, is famous for being a pioneer in the fight to end apartheid, or “the policy of political and economic segregation and discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa”. Not long after Wonder accepted his Oscar, the Broadcasting Corporation in South Africa, which controlled all television and radio programming in the country, banned his music. In response, he hired exiled South African musicians to play the song “It's Wrong (Apartheid)” on his album In Square Circle, in which he sings: “You know apartheid is wrong, wrong/ Like slavery is wrong, wrong/ Like The Holocaust was wrong, wrong/ Apartheid is wrong, wrong, wrong.” The song is recognized to be an essential anti-apartheid song to speak to both the oppressed and the oppressors. The same year, on his 35th birthday, Stevie Wonder was honored by the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. During the celebration, he gave a speech criticizing South Africa's resettlement policy under the Natives Resettlement Act, which allowed the relocation of blacks "from any area of ​​the Johannesburg Magisterial District or from any adjacent Magisterial District and their settlement elsewhere". Wonder, addressing the crowd, asked: “Are resettlement camps wrong and if they are so big, why don't white people want to live there?” Much to Wonder's satisfaction, after years of supporting anti-apartheid efforts, including the time he was arrested at the South African embassy for protesting, government-imposed racial segregation ended in 1994. Three years later, in 1997, Wonder sang “Happy Birthday” to then South African President Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Stevie Wonder was greatly inspired by the influential Martin Luther King Jr. and his messages of unity and peace. After King Jr.'s tragic passing, Wonder made it a priority to attend his funeral. Many years later, although some states established a holiday for King Jr.'s birthday, Congress, despite the support of President Jimmy Carter, failed to pass a national day into law. After the bill's defeat, Stevie Wonder wrote the song "Happy Birthday" for Martin Luther King, Jr. and incorporated it into his album Hotter Than July, released in September 1980. Wonder sings, "I never understood/How a man who died forever/ He couldn't have a day that/ was set aside for his recognition,” continuing with “For in peace our hearts will sing/ Thanks to Martin Luther King the year after the song debuted.” , Stevie Wonder held the Rally for Peace press conference in Washington DC to declare King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. Wonder said: "If Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday does not fall this year, we must do it next year and again and again and again until it happens." Then-President Ronald Reagan made headlines when he approved the holiday to take place on the third Monday in January every year since 1986. Elated, Stevie Wonder was the headlined the major televised concert titled “An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.,” in which he sang “Happy Birthday” alongside numerous icons including Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Murphy and more. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay It is no dissent that Stevie Wonder is a passionate and hard-working man. As demonstrated by his unwavering dedication to improving services for.