The legendary artist known as the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin is set to be honored in Detroit, Michigan, with a local post office named after her.
According to the Associated Press, the post office will be named the “Aretha Franklin Post Office Building.” The location is only five miles away from another spot named after the late star and Detroit’s concert arena, also named after Franklin.
“Her legacy lives on in her music, in her family. But we have added to that list of her legacy: A post office with her name on it,” said U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, a Michigan Democrat and longtime postal service worker.
Congresswoman Lawrence also happened to be a friend of Franklin’s and stood behind the idea of having the post office after her. Lawrence introduced the bill to Congress, which was a game-changer and led to the change in name for the post office.
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“Sometimes people wonder if Congress can come together,” the Democratic senator said. “Congress can come together when it comes to standing up and recognizing this amazing person,” U.S. Sen. Gary Peters told AP News.
Franklin’s legacy has stayed alive in the world through her music, and more recently, a biopic, Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson, which shared the story of her life and career. The movie made 8.8 million in the box office during its opening weekend, and Hudson was chosen by Franklin herself to play the role.
“It’s like, ‘Oh wow, Jesus, what am I supposed to do with this?’ How do you approach something so huge, of the magnitude that it is?” she told The Independent. “And being a fan, I’m aware of that, which is what made it an even more personal project to me.
Franklin passed away in 2018 at age 76 in her Detroit home.
