Last August, Aretha Franklin’s Black feminist legacy was disgracefully memorialized at her own funeral. Led by Rev Jasper Williams Jr., the so-called celebration of the Queen of Soul turned its back on Black women, #BlackLivesMatter, and single mothers. (1/5)
Thus, despite serving as a beacon for Black women over the course of her multi-decade career, Aretha was effectively denied the chance to be toasted, memorialized, and paid homage on Black women’s terms. This, unfortunately, is not an uncommon tale. (2/5)
Indicative of the often overlooked social location of Black women, over the past decade over $100 million has been invested in initiatives exclusively targeting Black and brown boys. During this same period, less than $1 million was targeted to Black and brown girls. (3/5)
Elevating the stories of Black women and girls, targeting initiatives that benefit them, and properly narrativizing their legacies are all necessary steps in a pursuit of intersectional justice. (4/5)
At the opening event of the #HerDreamDeferred series, we seek to amplify these truths by answering this question: What would it look like if Aretha Franklin’s legacy was seen through Black women’s eyes? (5/5)
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