By Jordyn Britton
Howard University News Service
In a room full of young Black professionals, Michael Franklin buzzed from corner to corner, hugging and laughing with all in attendance as though they were all there for him, and in a way, they were.
Franklin’s charm and charisma makes it easy for him to fill a room — and not just any room. In the fall, for example, he drew a standing-room-only crowd to the National Press Club in downtown Washington to watch the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump while mixing, mingling and creating a buzz that often overpowered the candidates’ words.
Some attendees were there to network with Franklin, co-founder and executive director of Speechwriters of Color, as well as being founder and chief thought officer of Words Normalize Behavior, a consulting firm that focuses on strategic engagement.
Franklin smiles from ear to ear as he recalls his upbringing and early academic career. His love for literacy is apparent through his work and surroundings as books line the shelf behind him.
He spoke passionately about his family and hometown — Kansas City, Kansas, in Wyandotte County, which he referred to as “the Dotte” and “the killa city.”
“I was born in a multi-generational, women-led household,” Franklin said. “I lived in a home that was with my mom, my grandma, my great-aunt, my great-grandma. All of us lived together in a duplex, and we cut a door in the middle between the kitchens, so we didn’t have to go outside to go to both sides.
“Living in a multi-generational household taught me a lot just about care for one another and also being used to being in a support system with a community.”
This shaped his concepts of what it means to bring people together for a cause. A graduate of Howard University, the entrepreneur has distinguished himself not only among alumni from his alma mater, but also among his peers in social justice and advocacy.
Living in one of the most diverse counties in Kansas helped him understand the social and historical realities that his state has faced for decades. “I grew up in a lot of multicultural spaces,” Franklin said. “However, I will say that outside of our county, it’s all the same.”
“When it comes to Central and Western Kansas, that’s what falls more into the stereotypes of what you’d expect: more plain land and flat land and like, weird racism and weird, exclusionary thinking.”
“That still doesn’t make Kansas any less home and any less Kansas,” said Franklin, who attended a historically Black high school, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science. “That was the segregated school that my grandma went to and where she picketed for the NAACP when she was a teenager and MLK visited the high school.”
Franklin was in school during many pivotal moments in American history. “My first protest was after the murder of Trayvon Martin, and we did a hoodie walkout at my middle school,” he recalled. “That was something that always was formative for me. And, like, you’re always taught a willingness to speak up and how to be a disruptor in spaces.”
“It’s been interesting, I’d say, like, to see and be a part of the evolution of what disruption looks like.”
These experiences allowed him to experiment with agency and speaking truth to power. While learning what leadership meant to him, he transitioned into a space of self-assured power and bolstered his passion for advocacy through action.
In high school, he found a space where he could combine his public speaking skills with his desire for community. His drive and work ethic translated into leadership positions in high school and at Howard, where he became deeply involved in collegiate speech and debate.
“So, there’s a lot of these values, and like, a lot of rich history, a lot of Black history, a lot of queer history in Kansas City,” he said. “Those really helped create who I was.”
During his time at Howard, Franklin became a student leader from joining the speech and debate team as a freshman to being executive vice president of the Howard University Student Association.
“I was a freshman on campus and wanted to use my voice,” he said. “It ended up driving me into student government.”
The birth of Speechwriters of Color dates to his sophomore year at Howard. “Members of the speech and debate team were invited to the professional Speechwriters Association World Conference’s Mentorship Mixing,” he recalled. “We went, and there were barely any Black people, barely any people of color in the room.”
“It was also my first time learning about speechwriting as a career path, which is crazy given all my years in speech and debate.”
With speechwriting being one of the most lucrative professions for people with backgrounds and degrees in the communications field, Franklin felt boxed out of a career path for reasons that could only be deduced by the demographics represented in the room.
Five years after its founding in 2020, the nonprofit Speechwriters of Color provides scholarships and educational opportunities, hosts networking events and helps young professionals use their skills to guide the leaders of our country.
“I think one of the most interesting challenges that I’ve been navigating is being both like a support staff for the leaders I work with and also being a principal and leader myself,” Franklin said. “So, I really embrace this idea that thought leaders want to have thought leaders, too.”
As he continues to grow his brand, Franklin wants to pay it forward. Through Speechwriters of Color and his consulting firm, Franklin is committed to creating space for his peers to advance professionally and authentically.
A proud member of the queer community, Franklin is passionate about making sure that he opens the door wide enough for people to come behind him and that he uses his journey as inspiration and encouragement for others to keep making and taking space.
Jordyn Britton is a reporter for HUNewsService.com.
