The funeral for Aretha Franklin in
Detroit on Friday also briefly became an impromptu forum on the
Black Lives Matter movement and other issues critical to the
African American community.
The Queen of Soul was remembered during a nearly eight-hour
service that featured tributes from former U.S. President Bill
Clinton and civil rights leaders, as well as often emotional
performances by entertainers Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and
Gladys Knight.
The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., pastor at Salem Baptist Church
in Atlanta, delivered the eulogy for Franklin and used his time
at the podium to raise social issues he said were critical to
the black community.
"Do black lives matter? Let me answer like this. No. Black
lives do not matter, black lives will not matter, black lives
ought not matter, black lives should not matter, black lives
must not matter until black people start respecting black lives
and stop killing ourselves, black lives can never matter,"
Williams said.
Singer Stevie Wonder appeared to respond in part to Williams
when he delivered remarks at the end of the service, following
his own musical tribute to Franklin.
"We can talk about all the things that are wrong and there
are many but the only thing that can deliver us is love. So what
needs to happen today not only in this nation but throughout the
world is that we need to make love great again," Wonder said.
"Because black lives do matter, because all lives do matter
and if we love God then we know truly that it is our love that
will make all things matter, when we make love great again. That
is what Aretha has said throughout her life. Throughout the
pain, she gave us the joy and said 'Let's make love great
again'," Wonder said.