Shirley Franklin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shirley Franklin
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Franklin in 2014
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| 58th Mayor of Atlanta | |
| In office January 7, 2002 – January 3, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Kasim Reed |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shirley Clarke Franklin
May 10, 1945 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Howard University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MA) |
Shirley Clarke Franklin (born May 10, 1945) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Shirley Franklin served as the 58th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Her time as mayor was from 2002 to 2010.
She was the first woman to be mayor of Atlanta. She was also the first Black woman elected mayor of a major city in the Southern U.S. Franklin was Atlanta's fourth African-American mayor. Today, she is on the board of directors for Delta Air Lines and Mueller Water Products.
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Shirley Franklin's Early Life and Education
Shirley Franklin grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to the Philadelphia High School for Girls.
She earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from Howard University. Her major was sociology, which is the study of how people live in groups. Later, she earned her Master of Arts (MA) degree, also in sociology, from the University of Pennsylvania.
Shirley Franklin's Political Journey
Before becoming mayor, Shirley Franklin worked for the city of Atlanta. She was the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Maynard Jackson. Later, she became Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager for Mayor Andrew Young. These roles helped her learn a lot about how a city government works.
Becoming Mayor of Atlanta
In 2001, Shirley Franklin ran for mayor of Atlanta. This was her first time running for a public office. She won the election with more than 50 percent of the votes. She took over from Mayor Bill Campbell.
When she became mayor, Atlanta had a big budget problem. There was not enough money to pay for city services. Mayor Franklin worked to fix this. She reduced the number of city employees. She also increased taxes to balance the budget quickly.
Improving Atlanta's Environment
One of Mayor Franklin's main goals was to fix Atlanta's sewer system. Before her term, the city's sewer system was not working well. It was causing problems with the federal Clean Water Act. The city had to pay fines to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 2002, Mayor Franklin started a program called "Clean Water Atlanta." This program worked to improve the city's sewer system. She also worked to make Atlanta a "green" city. Under her leadership, Atlanta greatly increased its number of LEED certified buildings. These are buildings designed to be good for the environment.
Recognition and Reelection
Many people recognized Mayor Franklin for her work. In 2005, Time magazine named her one of the best mayors in big American cities. U.S. News & World Report also featured her as one of the "Best Leaders of 2005."
Because of her strong support, Mayor Franklin was reelected in 2005. She won with over 90 percent of the votes. Some people even thought she might run for governor of Georgia.
In 2006, a group called The White House Project named Shirley Franklin as one of "8 in '08." This group believed these eight women could possibly run for president in 2008.
Protecting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy
In 2006, Shirley Franklin helped make sure that the important papers of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed together. She led an effort to have his papers given to his college, Morehouse College. This stopped them from being sold at an auction. She felt honored to help continue Dr. King's legacy.
Facing Budget Challenges
In 2008, Atlanta faced another big money problem. Mayor Franklin asked the Atlanta City Council to approve a property tax increase. This would help avoid cuts to public safety services. However, the City Council did not approve the tax increase.
Because of this, Mayor Franklin announced that 222 city workers would lose their jobs. Most other city workers, including firefighters, had to work fewer hours and take a pay cut. Mayor Franklin explained that the city's tax collections were down. This was due to a difficult economy.
Mayor Franklin worked with other mayors, like Michael Nutter from Philadelphia. They asked the U.S. Treasury Secretary for help during the economic downturn.
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Honors and Awards
Shirley Franklin has received several important honors.
- In 2005, she received the Profile in Courage Award. This award is given by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. They praised her for managing Atlanta during a tough time. The city had a huge budget problem and people had lost trust in the government.
- In 2007, she received an honorary degree from Oglethorpe University.
- In 2022, she was named a Georgia Trustee. This honor is given by the Georgia Historical Society. It recognizes people who have done great things for their community.
Personal Life
Shirley Franklin had a son named Cabral, who passed away in 2015.
According to a DNA analysis, her family roots are mainly from people in Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.
Images for kids
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Franklin in 2014
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Franklin speaking at a rally for Jon Ossoff's Senate campaign in 2020
