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DEL.ICIO.USA word from Shirley Franklin on the death of her ex-husband
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David Franklin, former husband to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, died today.
Here is the AJC take on his life and death.
But this evening, Shirley Franklin sent out a more detailed obituary to her friends. Read it here in its entirety:
Atlanta native entrepreneur and entertainment attorney David McCoy Franklin died today of natural causes at age 65. His family has lived in Georgia since the early 1800s starting in Sparta. He was one of the greater-than-life Atlanta citizens whose lives defined the Civil Rights era, beginning as a youth member and organizer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. David made significant contributions in business and politics.
Attorney David Franklin
Highly successful during his lifetime, Franklin managed the careers of Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Peabo Bryson, Miles Davis, Cicely Tyson, Lonette McKee, Luther Vandross, Lou Gossett, and Richard Pryor.
He was also co-founder of the prestigious Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, which now has over 600 members.
Committed to education, he made significant contributions to Morehouse through his service on the Morehouse Research Institute Advisory Board. His love of art was reflected in his collection, which at times included artists such as Romare Bearden and Ernie Barnes.
It was through his financial support that the statue “Expelled Because of Their Color” can be found on the state Capitol grounds. A voracious reader, he enjoyed everything from L.A. Dodgers Fact Book and the daily Notre Dame Blue and Gold Report to everything James Baldwin wrote.
The outspoken and frequently controversial Franklin always had a love of politics and an interest in the Civil Rights movement. Although he never ran for office, he is often cited by political observers as being instrumental in Maynard Jackson’s political operations. In 1973 Jackson was elected Atlanta’s first black mayor and exploded on the national scene. In every subsequent municipal Atlanta election, the game plan and strategy was built on the Jackson model.
Franklin’s professional political career [began], when at age 29, he returned to his native Atlanta from Washington D.C. as a partner with the law firm of Jackson, Patterson and Parks. At that time, Maynard Jackson was vice mayor, with his sights set on making history as Atlanta’s first black mayor.
As one of Jackson’s chief strategists in 1973, Franklin utilized entertainment contacts to raise thousands of dollars for the race, including a fund-raiser at the Omni starring Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, and Gladys Knight. Franklin is credited with helping to run a shrewd campaign.
On Election Day he carefully choreographed the “get out the vote” campaign with hundreds of volunteers, transporting thousands of black voters to the polls throughout the city.
Reared in Atlanta by his mother, Jean McCoy Moore, and his grandmother, Kate Dickson McCoy, Franklin attended Turner High School. Franklin’s interest in current events and business were sparked by an extraordinary curiosity and the dynamism of the African-American business leadership of the time.
After graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta, he moved to Washington D.C., where he took a position with the Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance. He attended American University law school at night and passed the Washington D.C. bar. It was during this period that he met and — some years later — married Shirley Franklin.
The Franklins have three children Kai, Cabral and Kali — all current residents of Atlanta.
Franklin’s entertainment career began in Washington DC where he met the then-unknown Donny Hathaway. Franklin’s keen negotiating skills on behalf of his artists soon brought him a reputation of gaining the best deals in the industry — attracting the many high-profiled artists.
Working with Ahmed Ertegun of Atlantic Records, he was the first black attorney to negotiate six figure contracts for his clients. He later worked on behalf of Richard Pryor, negotiating the first multi-performance contract for a black comedy artist on network television.
As Mayor Jackson’s law partner, coupled with the continued success of his high-profile entertainment clients, his skillful entrepreneurial and political talents became the basis of the development of the Atlanta’s minority joint venture and business enterprise program soon to become a national standard.
He worked as a strategic political advisor on the regional and national level. The numerous campaigns ranged from former Vice President Mondale and Senator Edward Kennedy to Ellis Arnall and Governor Roy Barnes.
One of Franklin’s successful business ventures was Franklin & Wilson Airport Concessions (FWAC). After initial negotiations with Ed Elson of Airport News, his became the first African-American retail concession in the history of the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Later he started a strategic partnership with worldwide airport news concessionaire, W.H. Smith in 1994, and Ronald W. Wilson, a long-term friend and business associate.
During his life, Franklin was known as a strong competitor with a razor sharp mind combined with extraordinary foresight and an amazing ability to make deals.
Franklin will be fondly remembered by many for his political acumen, business savvy, and assured confidence. An ardent supporter of black and progressive candidates for public office, Franklin was also a proud father who instilled in his children the importance of education, entrepreneurship and self confidence.
In addition to his three children, Kai, Cabral (Candice) and Kali, he is survived by three grandchildren, Kaci, Kori and Keson; two sisters, Michaele Jean Franklin Jackson, Valerie (Ronald) Knight and four nephews, Ronald Jr., David, Michael and Jules.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 at Radcliffe Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Morehouse College Scholarship Fund in honor of David Franklin.
Photo credit: Rich Addicks/AJC
Comments
By Will Jones
September 9, 2008 7:34 AM | Link to this
Though perhaps, until Bush and Cheney are tried and hanged for their proven 9/11 treason (Viz. Griffin, “The New Pearl Harbor”), we should refrain from “speaking ill of the dead,” reason. and community awareness for future planning and goals of righteousness, demands analysis of lives which, so passing glorious, wind up, for an extended time, in federal prison. Was the corruption at the airport in a pattern from Clinton’s Ambassador Elson’s father’s membership in the “Annenberg Gang?”
Just as McCain’s father-in-law was a front for Organized Crime coming out of its control of alcoholic beverage and liquor sales during Prohibition, what “norm” of municipal and political graft did Franklin acquire when he bought Elson’s enterprises at our, and others’, airport?
How does his personal “alternative” choices or affliction, born of an absent father, figure with the tribulations and choices now afflicting his daughter and our city through Bush’s “post-Taliban-eradication” resumption of U.S. Marine and Army protected opium production in Afghanistan now supplying 93% of the world’s heroin supply…with a Southeast U.S. “Wal-Mart?” … the product and location where the Atlanta City Policemen murdered Mrs. Johnston for her 911 calls breaking up the “business” of drug sales in front of her house? Or before his incarceration, was Mayor Franklin’s son-in-law engaged in the sale of some drug other than heroin?
Questions must be asked of our local political corruption “farm team” linked so overtly with the national and international crime syndicate given the gilt of high office by the Roman Catholics on the Supreme Court in ‘Bush v. Gore’…our Nation’s Posterity demands it be understood and rectified.
Governor Perdue’s tax relief and real estate transactions prove his corruption. The chain is solid for corruption from here to Washington and America must require probity from those we make “El”-ect.
It is no mystery that McCain has now chosen one so patently “Hitlerian” in philosophy. Watch her pronouncements on YouTube. She is cut from the same cloth as Hitler. Can any be so far from the Grace of G-d not to know the 9/11-committing homosexual draft-dodger, whose father killed John Kennedy to keep us in Vietnam, and whose grandfather was Hitler’s banker, is not serving the Divine but Satan by his treason and lying us into war shedding the blood of innocents?
Hitler’s lies were supported by the Vatican and its hierarchy of homosexual and pedophile priests and assassins. Bush’s and Palin’s lies are supported by the benighted fools and morons willing to follow such as homosexual closet-queen Anti-Christ Ted Haggard…Bush’s once frequent “weekender” at the White House. Perhaps they “shared” James Guckert’s blandishments?
None is exempt. America must be restored. Justice and Truth require only righteousness on the part of the good and decent.
“All that is required for Evil to triumph is that the Good do nothing.” Acton
Death for Treason
http://www.theamericanfundament.blogspot.com
Civilization pivots on urban culture from Carthage to Timbuktu. Atlanta is the New Jerusalem for America, the New Israel founded by White and Black Whigs in 1776.
By Malik Hertzel
September 9, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this
To Wil Jones, please try and stay on topic. Did you not realize your rant went from John McCain to his wife to Hitler and the Vatican?
Further to your point (whatever it was), there is some perception that perhaps you are justifying Mr. Franklins proven financial improprieties with that of another. The Jr. High School argument is the equivalent of telling the IRS “Well, he cheated on his taxes so that makes me innocent”.
Let’s try calling a spade a spade and be done with it and not try and put lipstick on a pig.
~Malik
By Malik Hertzel
September 9, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
To Wil Jones, please try and stay on topic. Did you not realize your rant went from John McCain to his wife to Hitler and the Vatican?
Further to your point (whatever it was), there is some perception that perhaps you are justifying Mr. Franklins proven financial improprieties with that of another. The Jr. High School argument is the equivalent of telling the IRS “Well, he cheated on his taxes so that makes me innocent”.
Let’s try calling a spade a spade and be done with it and not try and put lipstick on a pig.
~Malik
By Will Jones
September 9, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
Stay on what “point,” “Malik”? You may not have the mind to know it. Perhaps in time…or in another life?
By Edward
September 9, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
Franklin was a crook; so he died….big deal. Crooks die everyday. He’s a dead crook.
By Leah M
September 9, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this
He was a great man, and will be missed. Everyone has done things in their lives they are not proud of, most of us just hope that the good out weigh the bad and move on with our lives. No one, in this life, is perfect and yet it is the supremely unperfect ones that like to judge others.
By BVanB
October 12, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
I have been out of the country and just found out about this. My condolences to Mayor Franklin. He will be missed.