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A little too friendly? (YouTube screenshot)
The bigger the stage, the bigger the blowback. And after Aretha Franklin's epic, eight-hour funeral -- broadcast on local TV, carried by national cable outlets and discussed all day on social media -- two pastors who spoke from the pulpit had to explain themselves.
First was Bishop Charles H. Ellis, whose handsy embrace of Ariana Grande prompted an apology, via the Associated Press. Ellis wrapped his arm around the pint-size singer so thoroughly that he seemed to be copping an outside feel. A lame joke about her name -- "When I saw Ariana Grande on the program, I thought that was a new something at Taco Bell" -- didn't help either.
Now comes Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., the Atlanta preacher who gave the main eulogy for Franklin, and whose stern comments about no-show parents were taken by some as an insult to single mothers, especially when the woman he was paying tribute to was one herself. Williams tells AP:
“I was trying to show that the movement now is moving and should move in a different direction,” he said. “… what we need to do is create respect among ourselves. Aretha is the person with that song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” that is laid out for us and what we need to be as a race within ourselves. We need to show each other that. We need to show each other respect. That was the reason why I did it.”
Williams said his remarks were taken out of context. The story continues:
Williams described as “abortion after birth” the idea of children being raised without a “provider” father and a mother as the “nurturer.” The pastor said he was not trying to take aim at Franklin, who was a single mother of four boys.
Some called Williams’ eulogy a “disaster” as his speech caused an uproar on social media and in the funeral crowd, including Stevie Wonder who yelled out “Black Live Matter” after the pastor said “No, black lives do not matter” during his sermon.
Williams presided over Franklin's father's funeral 34 years ago.
