Mayor Franklin to teach at Spelman

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will begin a one-year professorship at Spelman College in January, college officials told the AJC Monday.

Franklin will join the historically black women's college as a Cosby Chair, an endowed professorship program started by the comedian and activist Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille. The program supports professorships in humanities, fine arts and social sciences, according to the college.

"We draw on leaders in the community to come to campus for a year and share their expertise," Spelman spokeswoman Angela Johnson said. "It's a way to provide an out-of-the-box education for our students."

Franklin could not be reached for an interview, but is expected to talk about the teaching position during a previously scheduled media briefing Tuesday.

As a Cosby professor of social science, Franklin will touch on various issues including women in politics, the challenges of urban leadership and lessons in forging coalitions, college officials said. Franklin will teach at the college from January 2010 through January 2011.

Spelman President Beverly Tatum described Franklin as a "trailblazer" and a "legend."

“At Spelman, we are in the business of developing women leaders who think globally and act locally. We could not have a better example of civic leadership than Mayor Franklin," Tatum said in a news release.

Franklin, 64, was elected Atlanta's mayor in 2001 and her final term ends Jan. 3. Term limits prevented her from running again. She was the city's  first female mayor and the first African-American woman to lead a major city in the South.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Howard University and a masters of arts degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Spelman officials also announced that Alison Bernstein, a vice president at The Ford Foundation, will also serve as a Cosby Chair beginning in August 2010. The foundation is a private group that awards grants to support the arts, environment, civil rights, higher education, economic development and other areas.

Bernstein’s research has focused on several higher education issues, including diversity and women’s studies. Before joining the foundation, she was an associate dean at Princeton University.