Sable Verity is sick ya’ll and it ain’t pretty. Post are going to be brief and as to the point as I can muster. Ready? Let’s go.
The Inauguration. Wherever we were in the world, we were all standing right there in D.C., witnessing history, witnessing the power of the people. I’ll post something on “what it means to me” hopefully very soon.
But let’s get to the heart of this post. Aretha Franklin’s hat. It is funny, but not so ha ha ha funny, that this hat and the reaction to it is the only bit of proof needed to show just how far we still have yet to go in race relations, specifically cultural compitency, which many people lack.
I watched the inauguration at a friend’s house along with my children and an intimate group of people- Black people.
When we saw Aretha Franklin introduced, we all ooohed and ahhhed at “the hat”.
“You go girl!”
“Now that is a hat!”
“Beautiful!”
“Gorgeous!”
Conversation went on and on for minutes and ranged from the yellow tutu to Aretha’s fluctuating weight. For those who thought the hat was gawd awful, I shake my head. Not only was the hat all that and then some, her outfit was perfect for the occasion. Aretha is a big Black woman, and let’s face it, she’s made fashion choices to make you cringe, cover your eyes, even change the channel (or call someone and tell them to turn on the television). Without the hat, the simple gray jacket and gloves would have looked plain Jane and many would have accused her of being under dressed, as if she didn’t care about where she was or who and what we she was singing for.
But sometimes an outfit isn’t about what covers the body. Sometimes it’s about the shoes hat.
Everyone that I know loved the hat. In the “Black” tradition, it was spot on. She wore what is commonly known as a “church hat”, which is beyond appropriate because she brought church to the inauguration when she sang. Did anyone know that patriotic dry ass boring song was a gospel song? Apparently Aretha Franklin did.
I admit, I was miffed at the critique she received, even the spoof on Ellen, who I generally think is funny. Everyone wanted to poke fun at the hat…and by relation, the tradition of hat-wearing by Black women. The reality is that Aretha’s hat was flawless, so show a little respect please, she- and the hat- deserve it!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7c2lC9JlJo]
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Sable Verity is a reporter and commentator based in Seattle who covers social and political issues for KBCS Radio and a number of online and print news outlets. All of this is her fault. 
I am with you!
Although I, myself would not don such a hat (at least not for another 25 years or so) I do realize the significance of the style of hat. I was watching the inauguration at work with a large group of my employees, and as soon as aretha got on the screen- I cringed because I knew! I knew someone was going to say something. Sure enough 5 or 6 people (people who let’s just say are the type that wouldn’t understand) got to talking about the hat. “what is she wearing” “what was she thinking?” “where on earth do you get a hat like that”
And I thought to myself…”hmmm….they really don’t know a thing about- or appreciate for one second anything about that” I mean…its what older black women do….rock some pretty sick- striking hats!
AND-no one talks about Queen Elizabeth running around in her little things….I guess THAT’s ok…everything is always viewed different when it’s one of us.
Disappointed, but not surprised. I expect that mainstream white America will repeat that behavior over the next few years as they encounter never before seen customs and rituals.
Terrorist fist-bump, anyone?
I should report that at the Town Hall Seattle event (lots of white Seattle liberals) that I attended, Ms. Franklin got only respectful applause.
As she sang, I could only wonder at what that moment meant to her and if she ever in her life imagined that she would be in that place at that time.
That hat was great, and Aretha wore it well. The Ellen reaction was irritating. There is a difference between making fun of what you know, and making fun of what you have no experience with. This was clearly the latter case.
On a site I frequent, shakespearessister.blogspot.com, the hat was much discussed and universally praised. The commenters are a varied lot, but I can tell you a pile of them are white.
See http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/01/hail-to-hat.html