Aretha Franklin’s homegoing service was a collection of sights and sounds to behold… a performance that kept humming along throughout the day without many hiccups. That is, until it came to a screeching halt for many viewers in the 8th hour.
The biggest controversy of the day came from an old school eulogy, delivered by Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., whose comments on crime, gay people and black motherhood rubbed many people the wrong way. Some posts on social media blamed this type of preaching for keeping people out of church and called it outright disrespectful to Aretha’s legacy and her family’s grief.
I didn’t get to hear it because I was on the air and honestly, the eulogy is when I tap out at funerals anyway. Just not my thing… and from the looks of things, I’m going to keep it that way. I’d much rather remember all the things I loved about Aretha’s funeral than anything that might ruin my memory of a beautiful day celebrating an amazing woman with all the best of American black culture.