Detroit renames post office after Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin has been posthumously honoured by her hometown of Detroit, which recently named a post office after her.
Formerly known as the Fox Creek post office, the Aretha Franklin Post Office Building was celebrated with a ceremony on Monday (October 4), Associated Press reports. It is located five miles east of downtown Detroit, close to a concert amphitheatre on the Detroit River also named after the singer.
The legislation to change the post office’s name was introduced by Michigan Democratic representative Brenda Lawrence in January and signed by President Donald Trump after passing through Congress.
“Her legacy lives on in her music, in her family. But we have added to that list of her legacy: A post office with her name on it,” Lawrence said at the ceremony.
“Sometimes people wonder if Congress can come together,” Democratic senator Gary Peters added. “Congress can come together when it comes to standing up and recognising this amazing person.”
In Jan, my bill to rename the USPS Fox Creek Station in Detroit after Aretha Franklin was signed into law. With her family/friends, we hosted a dedication ceremony today to honor the Queen of Soul. This building will always stand as a reminder that we all deserve a little RESPECT pic.twitter.com/VoEaL0UEUz
— Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) October 4, 2021
Franklin died back in 2018 in Detroit, aged 76. A biopic based on her life, Respect, premiered in UK cinemas last month starring Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul.
NME gave Respect four stars, describing it as “a film with heart, as well as an awful lot of soul”.
“Rather than just highlighting her incredible voice, Respect fills out Aretha Franklin’s story, focussing on her life-long commitment to civil rights, from singing at MLK’s funeral to her support of Angela Davis, and refusing to gloss over her struggles with alcoholism, abuse and depression.”
