I don’t think I could forgive myself if I didn’t talk about the one and only, Mr. Stevie Wonder himself. His government name was Steveland Hardaway Judkins. It wasn’t until he met with Mr. Berry Gordon, Jr. that he adopted the name Stevie Wonder. He was blessed into this world on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. As a result of being premature, he was born with a condition called retinopathy, that ultimately caused his blindness. However, he didn’t allow his blindness to stop him from serving his purpose in the music world. At just the age of 12, Stevie Wonder had already made his recording debut. He was able to play the drums, harmonica, and piano, all while using the voice we love and adore.
Over the years, Stevie Wonder has won six Grammy’s, a Polar Music Prize, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and then some. After being honored with U.N Messenger of Peace in 2009, he stated:
“It is beyond my ability to fathom that 10 percent of people of this world don’t matter to the other 90 percent of the people in the world. I’m not able to believe that, and the only way that we can show our caring about that 10 percent is by doing something to make the world more accessible and for people to be accepted with disabilities by committing ourselves to opening all the doors and all the possibilities for those who are physically challenged in any way.”
This quote spoke to me because he made the valid point that regardless of any disability, we all should have the opportunity to share our talents with the world. And we can’t do that, if doors aren’t being opened to us. So it’s up to the 90% of individuals without a disability to help us. Besides, no one can reach their goals and dreams without a little help.
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#stillRising
#stillRising 