#Sinatra100: Frank sinatra, Civil Rights champion
In the forties and fifties, America was in apartheid, and the courts, legislations, laws, churches and institutions converged with the blessing and rationalization to justify it. It is surprising to think that a skinny kid from Jersey, born in 1915, would then go on to champion the rights of all people both publicly and his private life.
An early example of the way in which Frank Sinatra used his popularity to do so, came in 1945, at the start of his road to Sinatramania, when he appeared as himself in a fictional film in which, upon taking a break during a recording session, he witnesses a scene on the street in which he sees ten boys chase down a Jewish kid. He intervenes, and through dialogue first and then a short speech, tells them… Continue Reading (3 minute read)
Frank Sinatra has actually been to my hometown once. He came here to protest at city hall since they wouldn’t let Sammy Davis buy a house here. Not exactly the best reputation when it come to racism here.
I believe there are also reports of him refusing to play at clubs that didn’t allow black and brown ppl to perform at that club even if he had a contract with them as well
And this was no small thing, the Italian community at the time was pretty deeply set in their segregationist ways. He took some heat.
Mccarthy threatened to put him on the communist list for singing [The House I Live In](https://youtu.be/zjNyX7pIRVA)
Because of course saying America is all people of all colors and religions is communism.
Not to mention his life long friendship with Sammy Davis Jr, for example.
“I love the colors and the queers, just ask Sammy Davis” -Frank Sinatra
He was also a supporter of Kennedy and the Mafia.
Arts critic Mark Steyn writing in 2002:
>When Liberace died, Frank Sinatra officially said: “That he was a consummate artist is not really as important as my telling you he was one of the finest human beings I’ve ever known.”
>A mutual friend asked Frank whether he really meant it or, come to that, whether he’d even seen the press release before it went out. “What the hell,” shrugged Frank, “he was an annoying little fag, but I liked the guy.”
>Personally, I find Sinatra’s off-the-record version far more warm and human and specific to the deceased than the on-the-record not-entirely-convincing boilerplate. But on the passing of a public figure the small amount of genuine private grief gets ladled over it a treacly avalanche of ersatz public grief — and for that, for the most part, no genuine human emotion is required.
And he is also reported to have been a Jekyll and Hyde character.
It is alleged he beat his wife and kids.
One of his wives an his kids refused to go to his funeral because of how bad he was.
Don’t take my word for it. Do some research. It’s been in the news more than once.
It can’t be overstated how important the entertainment industries were in bringing down segregation.
But…didn’t he sing baby it’s cold outside?
That’s actually surprising to hear. I am glad. I didn’t realize his epic rap battles of history was so accurate.
Yeah but also directly paid a ton of money for Nixon’s legal defense fund. Dude loved him some Nixon.
His rendition of “Ol’ Man River” a song from the point of view of a black stevedore, at a King rally, reportedly brought MLK to tears
[Here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tDHxsc18Hkw) is the song if you wanna listen