One of the heroes at Aretha Franklin’s funeral service Friday was Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). After Bishop Charles Ellis II introduced the congresswoman, Waters stood and gave the “Wakanda Forever” sign from the “Black Panther” film.
The crowd went wild — and so did Twitter.
Ellis had singled out Waters during the service at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple to note that she has been “attacked like never before,” apparently referring to insults from President Donald Trump.
“But she’s a strong black woman,” said Ellis. After Waters gave the Wakanda salute, Ellis said, “Everybody just point over there and tell her, ‘We got your back.’ Come on, say it so everybody can hear you out there: ‘We got your back!’”
The president has frequently attacked Waters, recently calling her an “extraordinarily low IQ person” after she warned Trump’s Cabinet to prepare for confrontations from the public over their decisions on controversial issues. He also warned the congresswoman, “Be careful what you wish for Max!”
Waters subsequently had to cancel events because of threats that she would be lynched or shot. She responded defiantly later at a Los Angeles rally in June: “If you shoot me, you’d better shoot straight. There’s nothing like a wounded animal. I am prepared to make whatever sacrifices need to be made.”
But it was all huzzahs on Twitter on Friday night:
