Ebony men on the move

Ebony, Feb, 1998

Misinterpreted, misunderstood and maligned, Black males are nevertheless among the most interesting and provocative beings on this earth. From the grace of His Majesty Michael Jordan to the in-your-face earthiness of Puff Daddy to the Fortune 500 savvy of Kenneth Chenault to the sheer vitality of the hip-hoppers and beleaguered urban youths who are, despite their wounds and casualties, among the most creative catalysts of American culture, the genius is still producing pacesetters like the 10 men on the following pages. Among these Ebony Men on the move are the composer of modern operas, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the young president of a seminary and the even younger composer of a hip-hop anthem. Individually and collectively, they are, like at the top of their game, at the top of their class, and they tell us (among other things) what their beleaguered Brothers could do if they, too, were given half a chance.

Robert M. Franklin Jr.

As child, Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr. never dreamed of being a minister. Like most kids who drag their heels on Sundays, he fidgeted in the pews, passed notes, and crooned Motown classics while waiting for his family after service.

But somewhere between adolescence and manhood, the lessons he learned at Chicago's St. Paul Church of God in Christ made a lasting impression. Today, as president of Atlanta's Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), the largest Black seminary in the nation, he holds one of the most important positions in religion.

Newspapers herald the 44-year-old minister as a "gentleman and a scholar." But part of his charm is that he retains his youthful idealism and enthusiasm. He dreams of making Black churches more relevant and making ITC a national think tank.

"Authentic Christianity is concerned with personal and social transformation," says Franklin. "We are trying to be faithful to our calling."

Since assuming the presidency last summer, Dr. Franklin has projected a master plan that includes a radio show, circulating audio tapes, a web site and a hotline with information about Black churches. He also envisions a chapel complex where Black visual and performing art is celebrated.

But perhaps his most important goal is to teach his students that the church's mission must be intertwined with other struggles to uplift the Black community.

Franklin grew up in Chicago idolizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his church pastor, Bishop Louis Ford. He blossomed as a young leader when Ford entrusted him to teach the church "bad boys" about Black history and the gospel.

The minister felt called to preach while a Morehouse College student traveling abroad. Upon his return, Franklin found a catalog for Harvard Divinity School in a wastebasket and requested an application: He was accepted.

"I came to feel that no other institution had as great an influence as the church," he says. "And I could make a great impact there."

Franklin has worked as a chaplain in a Chicago emergency room, as an Emory University professor, and most recently for New York's Ford Foundation as a program officer. But his drive to take the gospel from the sanctuary to the streets remains constant.

Franklin envisions a 21st century Black Church that reaches out to youth, empowers people through politics, harnesses Black dollars and celebrates Afrocentrism. His dream is plain: He wants the African-American community to march toward greatness, and he wants the church to lead the journey.

Along math being a good husband to his wife, obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Cheryl Goffney Franklin, and a father to his three children, Franklin wants history to remember him for using the church to make life better for Blacks.

"I think (the church) can help Black people lead more abundant lives," he says. "I want to be remembered for bringing the seminary off the sidelines and into the field."

William E. Kennard

At 40, William E. Kennard is the first Black chairman of the powerful Federal Communications Commission and the significance of his historic appointment is not lost on him. "I would hope that in this job I would be able, just by being here, to create opportunities for other minorities and for African-Americans," the Los Angeles native has said. "The fact that I'm the first African-American chairman of this agency in 65 years tells me that I'm making progress for somebody else, because the next person who comes along who's African-American, people won't remark on it."

What people are remarking on is the enormous power Kennard will have as head of the government's chief communications regulatory panel (the New York Times has called him "perhaps the most powerful regulator in Washington") and his qualifications to wield it. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University. Kennard also has a law degree from Yale and comes to the chairmanship after 3 1/2 years as the agency's general counsel and a career as a practicing attorney involved in a range of communications issues. "Communications is the fastest-growing sector of our economy," says Kennard. "It is creating unprecedented opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. It is fundamentally changing the way we do business and the way our children learn. I want to make sure the communications revolution is an inclusive revolution that benefits all Americans." Kennard is married to Deborah Diane Kennedy, managing counsel for the Mobil Corporation.