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As the world honours the life and work of Aretha Franklin, the new Spike Lee film BlacKkKlansman is as urgent a wake-up call for America as the Queen of Soul’s legendary music was 50 years ago

Aretha Franklin: not just the Queen of Soul, but a warrior Pic: Getty

America is celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy of Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, music legend, American icon, feminist and activist, who passed away last Thursday at 76 years of age.

Tributes are being paid, and many Americans are reflecting on Franklin’s place in musical history. Not just as one of its most astonishingly gifted singers, but as a trailblazing woman of fierce courage, grit and integrity.

Franklin’s early years were difficult; her ...