While Amazing Grace is a welcomed touring project for Aretha Franklin lovers, its focus to encourage the nation is much greater.
The film themed as a gospel music documentary was screened Monday night (Sept. 9) at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center. It's the first steps in an effort to encourage citizens of the nation to register for the 2020 election. These efforts have been made through Poor People's Campaign, an organization prided on promotion social, political, and economic justice. It's an idealistic collaboration between the social group and late-singer because of her open community activism. Sharing the same name as Aretha's gospel album, Amazing Grace showcases her 1972 performance at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in South Los Angeles.
Music industry figure, Alan Elliott, played a major role in bringing this film to light. As he explained hopes of getting people, even Republicans, to vote, he's expressed to the Los Angeles Times how he thinks Aretha would feel about the movement.
“I know this is something she supported, something she was part of and that she would be very proud of.”
Current scheduled dates for the Poor People's Campaign are below:
Sept. 15-18 in El Paso
Sept. 27-30 in Greenville, N.C.
Oct. 25-28 at a city in Kentucky (still to be finalized)
Jan. 10-13 in South Carolina
Feb. 28-March 2 in Alabama
March 6-9 in Arkansas
April 3-6 in Flint, Mich.
May 15-18 in Memphis, Tenn.
Be sure to stay updated as Elliott promises there are expectations to expand to different cities.
Photo: LA Times/ Amazing Grace