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Editor, Asbury Park Sun,

I first began to pay closer attention to Aretha Franklin during my involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. She was a strong supporter of Martin Luther King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and  ‘The Movement.’

Her willingness to provide bail for Angela Davis who was jailed because of Davis’ left leaning Communist activities despite her preacher father’s resistance demonstrated her commitment to Black Liberation and Black women.

Aretha Franklin did not distance herself from the racial justice struggle.

Today I have been listening and seeing video clips of her singing My Country ‘Tis of Thee, Chain of Fools and RESPECT. But I did not tear up until I saw and heard her singing at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

Luciano Pavarotti became ill and was unable to sing. Aretha Franklin was asked to substitute with the expectation she would sing one of her well known favorites. Instead she sang what Pavarotti was to sing from the Turandot opera – the Nessun Dorma aria.

She sang “No one sleeps! No one sleeps! Even you oh Princess” – from Puccini’s opera.

Why did this cause me to tear up?

I remembered my deceased sister Phoebe and her magnificent musical ability. Her love of opera was so strong that she forced our sisters Margaret and Shirley, and me, to listen on Saturdays to the radio presentations of the Metropolitan Opera from New York while she sang and hummed the arias being sung.

But at a deeper level, racial history, racial present and justice for all of us comes to mind.

While Aretha Franklin is being praised, other black women are being verbally lambasted.

While the world mourns the death of Aretha Franklin and celebrates her musical genius, the poor of all races, who lack celebrity, continue to experience the effects of day to day poverty.

The separation of children from parents in the immigration struggle continues.

And all of us regardless our our race, gender, sexual orientation and/or economic and educational realities, whether we live on or near the ocean or far from it, in gated or non gated communities, are being ‘dissed’ by the silence of Republicans who occupy the White House.

Their silence will be recorded by historians of this era as being disruptive to democracy.

Aretha Franklin sang My Country of Thee with profound emotion and power but at times it appears that some persons believe the USA is theirs and not ours.

What a coincidence, perhaps providential that in response to the death of Aretha Franklin the world is giving attention to her rendition of R – E – S – P – E – C – T.

I googled “Bible and respect’ and, as I expected, Mark 7: 12 appeared. The passage states: Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of the law and the prophets.

Our son Dale Caldwell seeks to bring our attention to another word: E – M – P – A – T – H – Y.

If ever there was a time when we, in the USA, are in need of RESPECT and EMPATHY it is now.

May Dale’s generation, as well as his Dale Caldwell Foundation, begin to heal the wounds that our generation has caused and is causing.

Rev. and Mrs. Gilbert H. Caldwell

North Beach

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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