Shirley Franklin facts for kids

Shirley Clarke Franklin (born May 10, 1945) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. From 2002 to 2010, she served as the 56th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. 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 United States. Shirley Franklin was Atlanta's fourth African-American mayor. Today, she is a member of the board of directors for Delta Air Lines and Mueller Water Products.

In July 2009, Mayor Franklin was chosen for a special task force. This group reviewed the Homeland Security Advisory System.

Education and Early Life

Shirley Franklin grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in sociology from Howard University. Later, she received her Master of Arts (MA) degree, also in sociology, from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Shirley Franklin's Political Journey

Shirley Franklin had an important role in Atlanta's city government before becoming mayor. She worked as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Maynard Jackson. Later, she became the Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager for Mayor Andrew Young.

Becoming Mayor of Atlanta

In 2001, Shirley Franklin ran for public office for the first time. She decided to run for mayor of Atlanta. She won the election, taking over from Mayor Bill Campbell. Franklin received more than 50 percent of the votes. When she became mayor, Atlanta faced a big budget problem. To fix this, she reduced the number of city employees. She also increased taxes to balance the city's budget quickly.

Improving Atlanta's Environment

Mayor Franklin focused on fixing Atlanta's sewer system. Before her time, the city's sewer system was not meeting federal standards. This led to fines from the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2002, Franklin started "Clean Water Atlanta." This plan aimed 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 buildings are designed to be environmentally friendly.

Recognition and Reelection

In 2005, Time named Shirley Franklin one of the top five big-city mayors in America. That same year, U.S. News & World Report also featured her as one of the "Best Leaders of 2005."

Because of her strong support from the public and businesses, Franklin was reelected as Atlanta Mayor in 2005. She won with over 90 percent of the votes.

In February 2006, The White House Project included Shirley Franklin in their "8 in '08" list. This group featured eight female politicians who might run for president in 2008. She was the only one on the list who was not a governor, senator, or presidential cabinet member.

In 2006, Shirley Franklin helped ensure that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s important papers went to his college, Morehouse College. This prevented them from being sold at an auction. She felt honored to help continue Dr. King's legacy.

Franklin was also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. This group was formed in 2006. She served as the President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors in 2007-2008.

Facing Budget Challenges

In 2008, Atlanta faced another large budget problem. Mayor Franklin asked the Atlanta City Council to approve a property tax increase. This was to avoid cuts to public safety services. However, the City Council did not approve the measure. Franklin warned that without the tax increase, layoffs and pay cuts for public safety workers would happen.

In December 2008, Franklin announced that 222 city workers would lose their jobs. This was to help cover a budget shortfall of about $50 million to $60 million. Most other city workers, including firefighters, had to work fewer hours and take a pay cut.

Mayor Franklin explained that the city's budget problems were not due to too much spending. Instead, city tax collections were down by over 12 percent because of a difficult economy. However, some accounting errors in the city budget also played a part in the crisis.

Franklin, along with mayors from Philadelphia and Phoenix, asked the Treasury Secretary for a share of a large financial aid package.

Franklin speaking at a rally for Jon Ossoff's Senate campaign in 2020

Honors and Recognition

In 2005, Mayor Franklin received the Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The foundation praised her strong leadership. She managed Atlanta well during a tough time with a big budget problem. This was after a period when 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 and the Governor of Georgia. It recognizes people whose achievements and community service show the ideals of Georgia's original founders.

In March 2025, Central Avenue in downtown Atlanta was renamed Shirley Clarke Franklin Blvd. Westside Reservoir Park was also renamed Shirley Clarke Franklin Park.

Personal Life

Shirley Franklin has a daughter named Kai Franklin Graham. She also had a son named Cabral, who passed away in 2015.

According to a DNA test, Franklin's family mainly comes from people in Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.

Electoral History