Katheryn Russell-Brown's new children's picture book biography is A Voice Named Aretha, about Aretha Franklin.From Russell-Brown's Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: How did you research [Aretha Franklin's] life, and did you learn anything especially surprising?--Marshal Zeringue
A: My day job is as a law professor. I also have a Ph.D. in criminal justice/criminology. I love doing research and digging for information.
I was not aware of how well-known and active her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, was in the civil rights movement. Aretha did quite a bit to promote civil rights. In addition to doing benefits to help civil rights groups raise funds, she refused to sing before segregated audiences.
I was surprised to learn that Aretha’s...[read on]