By Romy Hansen
On March 25 1942, powerhouse vocalist and civil rights icon Aretha Franklin was born. On what would have been her 77th birthday, we look at her greatest non-musical achievements.
1. She was an integral part of the fight for civil rights. She embraced black pride symbolically and creatively and dedicated her life and music to fighting social injustice. She knew and worked closely with Martin Luther King and sang at his funeral in 1968.
2. She was honoured with the National Medal of the Arts in 1999 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. The latter is awarded “for an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavours”.
3. She embodied what it means to never give up. Despite her horrific and traumatising childhood and long consequential struggles with weight and alcoholism, she never gave up the fight. Even in the wake of her cancer diagnosis, she held on for many years against all odds and as such her unrelenting love for life continues to inspire others.
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