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Stevie Wonder: 'You Cannot Say Black Lives Matter And Then Kill Yourselves'

Stevie Wonder: 'You Cannot Say Black Lives Matter And Then Kill Yourselves' Image courtesy of CBS

Stevie Wonder is facing criticism for recent remarks made at a peace summit in Minneapolis.

While addressing the audience at a "Conference On Peace" event Saturday, Wonder highlighted the fatal shooting of Philando Castile at the hands of former officer Jeronimo Yanez, with the latter being found not guilty in the former's death. Wonder then transitioned into talking about the Black Lives Matter movement and implying that the movement should be focusing on black-on-black violence.

READ: Officer Jeronimo Yanez Found Not Guilty In Killing Of Philando Castile

"It is in your hands to stop all of the killing and the shooting wherever it might be," Wonder said. "Because you cannot say, 'Black lives matter,' and then kill yourselves. Because you know we've mattered long before it was said, but the way we show that we matter, and the way that we show all the various people of color matter is by loving each other and doing something about it. Not just talking about it."

The remarks, which were directed at the youth in attendance for the conference focusing on youth gun violence, have received some criticism with some disagreeing with Wonder's tone of respectability politics. This is a departure from comments the iconic artist made last year at London's British Summer Time Festival, where he told the crowd of 65,000 people that he does not "give a f**k" if they agree with his support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

READ: Black Lives Matter Founders To Receive Sydney Peace Prize

"Yes, all life does matter...But the reason that I say black lives matter is because we are the original people of this world," he said. "So, in essence, everybody in here, really, you got some black in you. You've all got some soul in you, so stop denying your culture. And for those of you who don't agree with me, I love you but I don't give a f**k. Cut the bulls**t and fix it! We were all made in God's image. When you hate someone, you're hating that image. If I'm blind and I can see it, you can see it too."

Watch the video below.

Source: CBSLocal.com