Wayne State University will honor Stevie Wonder with an honorary degree during its spring 2022 commencement ceremony on May 7 in Detroit.
The legendary singer, born Steveland Hardaway Morris, will be awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, “in recognition of his contributions as an iconic musician and to honor his advocacy for civil rights and the disabled community,” according to the school’s press release.
While all of Wonder’s accomplishments could not fit on the school’s website, they put together several paragraphs highlighting the 71-year-old’s career to date.
“A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Morris has struggled with visual impairment his entire life. He started his musical career as the child prodigy Little Stevie Wonder. Today, Morris is one of the world’s best-selling musicians, with more than 100 million records sold,” the Wayne State University website read.
“Morris has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. He led the 18-year effort to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, and his fight against racial injustice continues with his support for Black Lives Matter,” the site noted.
Wonder has received several honorary degrees, including an Honorary Doctorate in Music (Mus.D) from Brown University in 1987; an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree from Tulane University in 2011; and an honorary degree from Yale University in 2017.
At Tulane’s commencement, Wonder put together two impromptu performances during the ceremony. First, he played his harmonica to “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” a song that has become a tradition at Tulane commencements.
He then sat at the piano and played one of his top-charting hits, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”
Wonder is one of five honorees at the Detroit-based school. Comedian Tim Meadows will also be awarded the Honor of Humane Letters.
The ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 7, at 1 p.m. at the new Wayne State University Fieldhouse.
