“We cannot let love be taken away by negativity, we can’t do it,” Wonder said during the speech for Four Tops’ Fakir
Stevie Wonder advocated for love (and mentioned the Vice President) while speaking at Duke Fakir’s funeral service. During Friday’s final farewell for the Four Tops star, Wonder performed two gospel songs and gave a shout-out to Kamala Harris.
After singing “The Lord’s Prayer” and sharing a quick “Amen” with the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church crowd, Wonder simply said the presumptive Democratic nominee’s name, “Kamala Harris.” He then paused as the crowd continued its applause and repeated: “Kamala Harris. There, I said it.”
Before singing at the service, Wonder celebrated Fakir’s legacy and called for a focus on love over hate. “We Michiganders can not allow hate to permeate our state or country,” he said to applause. “It’s the sound of young America. Listen. We have to again understand that we are being challenged again with things we cannot let happen again.
“We cannot let love be taken away by negativity, we can’t do it,” he added.
Harris and Wonder crossed paths the day prior to Fakir’s funeral when the politician and singer eulogized Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at a funeral in Arizona. Harris has been a lifelong fan of Wonder, sharing in 2019 that her favorite album of all time is Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. She also shared a birthday post for Wonder in 2020, calling him a “living legend and longtime hero of mine.”
A rep for Wonder did not immediately confirm that the comment was Wonder’s endorsement of Harris’ candidacy nor respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Wonder has been known for his political involvement in the past. Along with making endorsements in local races, he endorsed Biden for president in 2020 and sang “Happy Birthday” to Hillary Clinton after endorsing her in 2016. “Truth be told, I think we as men have had our chance to work it out. It’s time to let a woman do it,” he said at the time.
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Among the attendees at Fakir’s funeral service Friday were Martha Reeves and Claudette Robinson. President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton sent in written statements that were read onstage, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Fakir died on July 22 at age 88 after suffering from heart failure. He was the last surviving member of the “Reach Out I’ll Be There” Motown group.
