Dear nécessité,

Happy Black History Month. How are you, my love? I hope you are well. Hang in there; keep moving forward. Stay connected. With the nécessité platform, it is our responsibility to share informative health information to help make a difference and in cultural importance.

Today as we honor this month with Black History, we are shining more light on the history of some black entertainers, leaders, icons, dignitaries, cultural influencers, and more.

This month, I am kicking off ‘Did You Know’ with Stevland Morris, “Stevie Wonder.”

Did you know that Stevie Wonder had a big hand in the 15 years it took to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday? Stevie Wonder not only advocated for this holiday and attended Marches, but he wrote and sang a song in honor of Dr. King, “Happy Birthday.”

This song is on the Hotter than July album recorded in 1980 and was created to honor the integrity of King’s character and all that he did and sacrificed to make it all possible. Mr. Wonder knew the importance that the country of America not only recognized Dr. King but honored and celebrated him on a national level/globally.

The Happy Birthday song became an anthem for the black culture.  It is a song you may here sang often rather than the traditional birthday song.  Wonder gave the black culture their Happy Birthday song intended to celebrate Dr. King. Fifteen years is a long time to decide to make a holiday in the US a national holiday or not, but with much consistency and determination, achieving the vision became a reality.

Dr. King was about serving humankind and serving the will of God. That alone is beautiful. And since Dr. King made it possible for us to have this moment, I thought it was great to share a bit of backdrop in how we got to have the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The Happy Birthday has since been sung to many individuals, as we have witnessed Stevie sing himself to others. This Black History, enjoy the cultural offerings and remember, you are a nécessité.

The thing about black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up. -Henry Louis Gates

With Much Love & Gratitude,

Erica,

Certified Holistic Health Coach

Certified in Gut Health

Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition Certification T.Colin Campbell for Nutrition Studies

Author of The Thriving Child, Shut Up and Cook!

Erica Reid, Founder of nécessité