(Photo Credit: Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force / Public domain)
Today, you will notice that Black Out Tuesday is trending across social media and you will see people posting and sharing black square images online. Black Out Tuesday refers to the campaign initiated by the workers in the music industry including but not limited to celebrities, corporations, music labels, sports stars, etc. to protest racism and police violence that resulted to the death of African-Americans George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, and many others.
We have also been met earlier by the news that two autopsies (one independent conducted by experts hired by Mr. Floyd’s family while the other was conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner) found George Floyd died by homicide. According to CNN, the independent autopsy result says Mr. Floyd “died of ‘asphyxiation from sustained pressure’ when his neck and back were compressed by Minneapolis police officers during his arrest last week. The pressure cut off blood flow to his brain, that autopsy determined.” The latter on the other hand, says the cause of death is “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
As a response to George Floyd’s tragic and senseless death and to the current turmoil raging across the United States (discussed yesterday in detail on the A4A blog here), Adam4Adam blog will be dedicating this first week of pride month to the black LGBTQ community and allies by featuring and celebrating the lives of important black LGBTQ people and allies in our community.
The first person on our list is someone who had left such a remarkable legacy. She is the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, who was credited for “playing a significant role in the shaping of the black identity through her music and her work in the movement.” This is because Ms. Franklin “not only used her voice to entertain but to uplift and inspire generations through songs that have become anthems.” One such song is Respect which is said to have become the “anthem of the civil rights campaign and the feminist movement.”
Ms. Franklin was famous not just because of her soulful voice but because she spoke (and sang) for people who had no voice. She helped raise funds for the movement for multiple occasions and she had even reportedly “written into her contract in the 60s that she would never perform for a segregated audience.”
Further, Aretha Franklin was also a beloved icon of the LGBT community because not only was she involved in the civil rights movement, she was also immersed in the fight for the LGBT and women’s rights. When she was alive, Ms. Franklin performed at a gay couple’s wedding and on November 7, 2017, she performed her final show at Elton John’s annual AIDS Foundation gala. Among her many songs are “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Baby I Love You,” “Say A Little Prayer,” “Think,” “Chain of Fools,” and “A Deeper Love.”
Ms. Franklin’s most memorable performances included singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand during Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial service in 1968 and on January 20th, 2009 when she sang My Country Tis of Thee at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
If you wish to know more about Aretha Franklin, you can watch her upcoming biopic titled Respect whichfollows her life story and her road to stardom from her humble beginnings as a child singing gospel in her father’s church’s choir. The film stars Jennifer Hudson who was reportedly handpicked by Ms. Franklin herself years before she passed away due to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) on August 16, 2018.
In the short clip shown below, Grammy and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson can be seen belting a few lines of Aretha Franklin’s iconic song Respect amidst a stage bathed in gold. Respect is said to be a popular choice by the “community at LGBTQ rallies and marches.”
Respect is coming to theaters this year, 14th of August 2020. It will also star Leroy McClain as Cecil Franklin, Forest Whitaker as C. L. Franklin, Marlon Wayans as Ted White, Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler, Tituss Burgess as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland, Saycon Sengbloh as Erma Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond, Skye Dakota Turner as young Aretha Franklin, and Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington.
Is there a story or anecdote that you remember about Aretha Franklin? Please share it with us in the comments section below!
God no. Nina Simone. Sam Cook… They were the voices of the Civil Rights movement.
many… not just her.
Nina yes! But we wanted to highlight a gay icon too:)
Aretha Franklin was gay? And seriously I thought Martin Luther King was the voice of the civil rights movement.
she was not gay… read what I wrote properly
Dave: It may have been Aretha Franklin who is most closely identified with the Black Civil Rights Movement, beginning in June of 1967, when “Respect hit #1. However, when LBJ signed “The Civil Rights Act,” in July of 1964, it was “MOTOWN” which personified Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. By July of 1964, Mary Well’s “My Guy” had already gone to #1, in May of 1964 and The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go?” was on its way to #1, August 22, 1964. It was released on 17 June 1964. It was MOTOWN,… Read more »
I’m Native American and you make some excellent points. We listened to MOTOWN more than anything because they had more rights than we, and felt we could move foreword, and we did.
Jim Markus: Martin Luther King’s message was the integration of White & Black America. We had it in Vietnam as President Truman’s declaration that Black Soldiers were, no longer, to be segregated from the White Troops, in July of 1948. I always treated all equally as we were all over there, whether we liked it or not. It was MOTOWN that you heard throughout Saigon and throughout South Vietnam; there were those who hated it; those who loved it and those who understood it. When you saw MOTOWN on television, you saw and heard talent, class,… Read more »
Aretha has a voice of gold!! I remember her singing during President Obama inauguration. She was a civil rights activist and was afraid to speak up during civil unrest. “Precious Lord take my hand” was my gospel favorite. Rest in peace queen of soul. You made your mark!!!!
Thank you for acknowledging Aretha, she was a icon for Civil rights movement, helent her voice for change and compassion, she crossed color lines,She sang real meanful songs, thanks RIP ReRe
Medgar Evers was the “father” of the Civil Rights movement, unfortunately he was assassinated early in the start of the movement, 12 June 1963 in front of his horrified family. (See Film: Ghosts of Mississippi for a quick update). I applaud Dave for his efforts, but sadly, so many here denigrate our brothers, I find it hard to believe many will STAND with BLM. The past few blogs I worry when people say silly things like are you scared of Trump? You had better be … that man had the National Guard use tear gas to clear a church square… Read more »
RANTTRAP, of course man! For me it is not even a question. I told my boss that we’ll push it on social, blog all week, and I organized also a fundraising. Check it out in the next post! I found an incredible organization to help! xo
I don’t know how much black squares will promote equality, but at least it’s not looting and burning.
I won’t support that garbage.
yeah maybe watch other channel than Fox News, you will see that many looters are white.
Dave…Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, so YOU are angry at the WHITE MINEAPPOLIS OFFICER who dressed in ALL black, wore a face mask and went and smashed out windows at the AUTOZONE STORE turning the peaceful protest into a RIOT? (The protesters were smart enough to keep people at every business there to avoid such incidents, you should see the fear in his eyes when they scream ARE YOU A COP?!?! Later his Ex-Wife came forward and confirmed it was him …. SEE HOW EASILY YOU WERE MANIPULATED BY PEOPLE WHO WILL DO ANYTHING TO KILL OR WIN? When you think about Social or… Read more »