Findings
| When | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin had a sustained connection to the US civil-rights movement. She performed for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, participated in civil-rights events, and supported Angela Davis, including offering to provide bail. Her involvement was substantial enough that the FBI maintained a 270-page file tracking her activities and relationships with civil-rights figures. | Source | |
| 1970 | Franklin offered to pay Angela Davis's bail and publicly called for her release. Franklin said her support was based on Davis being a Black woman fighting for Black freedom, rather than on agreement with communism. | Source |
| Franklin's version of “Respect” became an important feminist and civil-rights anthem. More importantly, her choice to perform the song from a woman's perspective transformed its meaning and placed a woman's demand for respect and independence at its center. | Source |
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