THE LAST HOLIDAY tells the powerful, true story of how legendary artist Stevie Wonder played a pivotal role in the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Based on a 2015 article by journalist Marcus Baram—written while researching his biography of Gil Scott-Heron—the film draws from Scott-Heron’s firsthand accounts of touring with Wonder in the early 1980s. At the time, Wonder had just released Hotter Than July, which included a tribute to Dr. King and a call for a national holiday in his honor. Frustrated by Congress’s inaction—more than a decade after Rep. John Conyers introduced the bill—Wonder launched a nationwide tour to rally support and raise awareness.

Baram’s article paints a vivid portrait of Stevie Wonder’s evolution during the 1970s and ’80s, capturing his growing political activism and the resistance he faced. Many opposed honoring Dr. King with a federal holiday, and the campaign to establish it was met with hostility, indifference, and delay. This documentary will explore that resistance and the extraordinary grassroots effort that overcame it.

Much of the archival material—photos, film footage, letters, rally recordings, and Senate hearing transcripts—remains untapped. This film will bring those materials together for the first time, including interviews with surviving participants and dramatic recreations of pivotal moments to enhance its cinematic scope.

THE LAST HOLIDAY focuses on Gil Scott's Heron's account of that time in Stevies life and uses the first hand accounts of that story as told to Marcus in the carefully recorded interviews that he kept for his book. 

This is a story about the power of community, peaceful protest, and the transformative force of music. It will shine new light on both Stevie Wonder’s legacy and Dr. King’s enduring impact—reminding us, especially in today’s political climate, why stories like this must be told and preserved.