Sing, Aretha, Sing!: Aretha Franklin, “Respect,” and the Civil Rights Movement

Written by Hanif Abdurraqib

Narrated by Angel Moore Choyce

A young Aretha Franklin captivates her community with the song “Respect” during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in this striking biography that will embolden today’s young listeners to sing their own truth.

When Aretha Franklin sang, she didn’t just sing…she sparked a movement. As a performer and a civil rights activist, the Queen of Soul used her voice to uplift freedom fighters and the Black community during the height of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Her song “Respect” was an anthem of identity, survival, and joy. It gave hope to people trying to make change. And when Aretha sang, the world sang along.

With Hanif Abdurraqib’s poetic voice, Sing, Aretha, Sing! demonstrates how one brave voice can give new power to a nation, and how the legacy of Aretha Franklin lives on in a world still fighting for freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664997806

Hanif Abdurraqib

Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic. His work has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Pitchfork, PEN American, Muzzle, and Vinyl. He is the author of multiple books, including They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, which was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, and NPR, among others; and Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest, a New York Times Bestseller and Kirkus Prize nominee. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.