At Aretha Franklin’s funeral, a call for respect for blacks
DETROIT: As Aretha Franklin was remembered at her funeral as a proud black woman who used her magnificent voice to stand up for the black community she loved, several speakers used the moment to continue to demand respect for black America.
Amid the gospel, personal reflections and grief were calls to register and turnout to vote in November and condemnation of President Donald Trump, who, upon her death, referred to Franklin as “someone who worked for me.”
“No — she used to perform for you,” the Rev Al Sharpton said to cheers and applause from the crowd. “She worked for us. Aretha never took orders from nobody but God.” Franklin’s civil rights legacy was mentioned often during the eight-hour service, and was tied to her faith and roots in the black church. Many also mentioned her father, the Re C.L. Franklin, and his civil rights leadership, which influenced his daughter from a young age.
BISHOP SORRY FOR EMBRACING ARIANA
The bishop who officiated at Aretha Franklin’s funeral has apologised for being “too familiar” when he embraced singer Ariana Grande after her tribute to the Queen of Soul.
Bishop Charles H Ellis III of the Greater Grace Temple was criticized by many social media users for appearing to touch the side of the Grammy-nominated artist’s breast after she sang at the funeral in Detroit on Friday.
Some tagged photos online with the hashtag #Respectariana, riffing on the title of one of Franklin’s biggest hits. “It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast...i don’t know, I guess I put my arm around her,” Ellis told the Associated Press after the service. “Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologise.”
Grande, whose songs include Problem and No Tears Left to Cry, sang Franklin’s hit “Natural Woman” at the funeral. AP