Dr. Sekou Franklin is the new Executive Director of the John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University. He was previously a Professor of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University from 2003-2025. He is the author/co-author of several works including After the Rebellion: Social Movement Activism and Popular Mobilization among the Post-Civil Rights Generation, Losing Power: African Americans and Racial Polarization in Tennessee Politics, State of Blacks in Middle Tennessee, Dallas County Area Study: An Analysis of Selma-Dallas County and the Alabama Black Belt, and Coming Home to Roost: The Hidden Impacts of a Powerful Poultry Industry on Middle Georgia Residents. He served as President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists from 2019-2021 and has authored expert reports for voting rights cases in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Louisiana. He also has worked closely with the late Rev. James Lawson, one of the world’s foremost nonviolent theoreticians. In 2019, he participated in the South Asian Regional Institute on the Study and Practice of Strategic Nonviolent Action in Nepal.

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Overview

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We begin our journey together by grounding ourselves in our stories of why we’re here, building connections, and developing a beloved community. Our preparation for the work of liberation starts with the conviction that "you belong here", as a beloved community is cultivated through intentional acts of connection. In this first session, we will engage in a foundational practice designed to build trust and shared purpose, exploring five essential conversations—Possibility, Ownership, Dissent, Commitment, and Gifts—to cultivate our cohort from the ground up, starting with our own stories, hopes, and perspectives.