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Two Iconic American Symbols of Resilience

By Damita J




Two prominent survivors who made epic displays of resiliency passed away this month.  The Queen of Aretha Soul, Aretha Franklin.  Former Senator and decorated war veteran, John McCain died.  The resilience and strength they both displayed are legendary.


Franklin, AKA the Queen of Soul, won 18 Grammys!  She died at the age of 76 in August of 2018. Her televised funeral which was about eight hours long, will go down in the history books as one of the longest ones.  She had 18 Grammy Awards and was a Kennedy Center Honoree.  She was the first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. One fact that I never knew about Franklin was that she had four sons – two of whom she had under the age of 16!  How many teenage mothers experience having a hard time getting their lives back on track after such an event?  Having two children early in her life, did not deter her from performing and realizing her dreams.  Franklin did not let being a single mother stop her. 
She did not let being a black woman born before the Civil Rights Movement stop her either.  How many times did she have to stay and perform at blacks-only places?  She left Arista Records in 2003, according to her IMDB Page, and founded her own label!  Incredible.  Aretha continued to perform and kept her illness quiet.


John McCain died at the age of 81.  He was the US Senator from Arizona from 1987 to 2018.   Before becoming a Senator, he was a member of the US House of Representatives.  He attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis MD (where is he buried) and a Naval Officer.  He served in the US Navy from 1958 to 1981, most notably in the Vietnam War.  During his initial captivity, he had broken both arms and a leg.  His captors did not give him the proper medical attention.  He was a Vietnam War Prisoner for more than five years.  He was given the option by his captors to confess to wrongdoing and sign statements. Because of his injuries and even after he returned to regular life in the states, he was unable to fully raise his arms over his head ever again.  
McCain got into disagreements with President Donald Trump over political stances.  Even though they were in the same Republican Party, McCain stayed true to what he felt was right and wrong.  He opposed the president on a few issues, and made a final request that the president not be invited to his funeral service.
Franklin and McCain will be missed.  The resilience they both displayed will not be easily duplicated.  Furthermore, the impact their lives and talents had on America will be missed.  They left their indelible marks on this country’s history and soul.  God bless them both.   


              

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