Stevie Wonder calls for the protection of voting rights

Stevie Wonder has shared a video online urging Senators to protect voting rights – you can watch below.

The video arrives as politicians take the debate over new voting rights legislation to the Senate floor. The bill, known as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, would represent a change in how the nation’s elections are carried out, including how votes are cast and tallied and how House districts are drawn.

“Any Senator who cannot support the protection of voting rights in the United States Of America cannot say that they support the Constitution,” Wonder says in the video.

“Stop the hypocrisy, cut the bull-tish. If you care and support our rights, do the hard work. You can’t please everybody, but you can protect all of us. And to keep it all the way real? The filibuster is not working for democracy. Why won’t you?”

Republicans have long opposed the bill and two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who are needed to push the bill forward, continue to be reluctant to support it because of their opposition to changing filibuster rules.

Wonder has been vocal in the past about calling out lawmakers. Last year, he was one of many celebrities who released videos backing efforts for the formation of the first federal racial justice commission tasked with examining the country’s history of systemic racism against Black people. Watch his video here.

In other news, Stevie Wonder was recently announced as one of the guests on Eddie Vedder’s upcoming solo album, joining the likes of Elton John and Ringo Starr. The Pearl Jam frontman will release ‘Earthling’ on February 11.

Wonder will also feature on Cordae’s upcoming sophomore album ‘From A Bird’s Eye View’. He’ll appear on a song called ‘Champagne Glasses’ with Freddie Gibbs and Nas.