Tues - Feb 16th
February brings Black History Month and we will be recognizing a special African American each day during our announcements. Today we are recognizing
Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) Singer/Songwriter
Known as the Queen of Soul, the daughter of popular Detroit Baptist minister C.L. Franklin scored a No. 1 hit with her remake of Otis Redding’s “Respect”, a song that helped soundtrack the civil rights movement. Her signature song — and her most noted, as it’s been used many times over in TV and films and is a hot karaoke tune — also served as a sisterly call for women, who also were looking for respect and to be taken seriously alongside their male counterparts. All these years later, the single still resonates. But Franklin is bigger than one track. Her career has spanned five decades, and she also was the first female performer inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 — as she should have been. She’s had more than 100 singles that have reached the Billboard charts, and 17 of them have been top 10 singles. She’s won an impressive 18 Grammys, has sold more than 75 million albums, and she’s one of the most influential voices ever, inspiring and paving the way for acts such as Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. Aretha Franklin, an African-American who we celebrate today for Black History Month.
7th and 8th graders:
The Binning Family Foundation has an opportunity for you to join their QuaranTEEN Film Festival! Create an original 3-5 minute school-appropriate film and enter it to be reviewed by a panel of judges for prizes. If you’re interested, stop by the office for more information.