The beauty of the crossover hit “Respect Yourself” by The Staples Singers is its timeless message of empowerment.  Written by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice in 1971, this song came at a time of cultural frustration at the state of the world. In his annoyance, it was said that Ingram made the statement, “black folk need to learn to respect themselves,” and from that point, a hit was born, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and listed on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.