A nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and inspiring positive change.
A nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and inspiring positive change.
RISE: Mickey Leland, World Citizen
Produced by Dr. Robert Franklin
Street Youth of Addis Ababa
Produced by Dr. Robert Franklin
The Lynching of Will Brown: Lest We Forget
Directed and Produced by Dr. Robert Franklin
Forgive or Forget: The Elaine, Arkansas Race Riot of 1919
Directed and Produced by Dr. Robert Franklin
At Green Thumb Foundation, we embrace the opportunity to engage with diverse voices, amplifying their narratives and shedding light on their experiences often overlooked or unheard. Dr. Franklin's dedication lies in not only lending a voice to the voiceless but also in actively working alongside communities to cultivate platforms where their stories can resonate and spark meaningful change.
Please reach out via email so we can explore a collaborative project highlighting the complexities of individual lives and the collective tapestry of communities.
Your generous support is invaluable. The Green Thumb Foundation is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3), making your donations tax deductible. You can make a meaningful impact today by making a tax deductible donation and as a sponsor.
Sponsor the Like It Is dynamic weekly public radio program, dedicated to exploring the heart of communities. As a valued partner, your support amplifies our mission and creates a unique opportunity for your trusted brand to reach a highly engaged audience.
With over 11M reach in key markets in the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, and over 30,000 monthly streams and downloads from across the country and globe, "Like It Is" offers access to a socially conscious audience. Our listeners are leaders in their communities, decision-makers, and loyal supporters of public radio. By partnering with us, your organization can connect with this diverse demographic in a meaningful way.
Studies show that public radio listeners prefer to support companies that support public radio. Sponsorship packages include:
Green Thumb Foundation and Dr. Franklin have worked with many private and nonprofit partners to fund innovative media projects including: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Public Radio International, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Paul Robeson Fund For Independent Media, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Deomocrocy SOS, the LENFEST Institute for Journalism, Vision Maker Media Research, and many more!
Your tax-deductible contributions enable us to create new stories that inspire positive change in our communities.
Dr. Franklin is a broadcast educator, award-winning producer, and ground-breaking journalist. As Station Manager, KCSM-FM at the College of San Mateo and former General Manager for WCSU-FM at Central State University, Dr. Franklin’s production portfolio contains examples of compelling programming, informative, in-depth interviews, and world-class documentaries designed to enlighten, educate, and inform the community.
His body of work and his innumerable awards proves that he is a gifted and talented broadcast journalist. Dr. Franklin won the Best Documentary award at the 2018 Houston Black Film Festival for his film “Rise: Mickey Leland-World Citizen” and selected 2019 Educator of the Year by the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, Ohio.
Along with tough issues, he has produced award-winning radio productions revealing America’s unsung heroes. Dr. Franklin’s production, "The Elaine, Arkansas Race Riot of 1919" documentary featured ordinary people with extraordinary tales of inspiration. This award-winning production received the Arkansas Society of Professional Journalists’ Best Television Documentary Award and the National Association of Black Journalists’ Salute to Excellence Award.
In July 2023, Dr. Franklin’s award-winning public affairs program, “Like It Is" is being distributed nationally to audiences of Native Voice One (NV1). NV1 distributed programs are carried by over 195 affiliates, from reservations and village-based stations to top-market urban radio stations throughout the United States and Canada. NV1 offers a twenty-four-hour web stream with access to unique programming with an Indigenous perspective. “Like It Is” programming features compelling, thought-provoking conversations and storytelling. Each week, “Like It Is” explores how engagement and possible solutions can occur when stories intentionally feature diverse, relatable people and localized information.
Through his inspirational leadership and dedicated service in the field of broadcasting for over 20 years, he has brought numerous “silent issues” to light, including hidden aspects of racism, poverty, youth violence and domestic violence. He makes these stories compelling, bringing them to the forefront of an audience. He presents issues in a unique way that empowers audiences to seek solutions. For example, in 2005, his four-part radio public affairs series on domestic violence stressed solutions and has resulted in a series of tapes available for educational presentations and for individual help. His stories always instill a sense of hope and a desire for greater involvement.
As the General Manager of WESM-FM at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Dr. Franklin developed innovative programs with his staff that brought recognition to the station and to the university. For example, Dr. Franklin provided, through radio, a reading services for the blind. In addition, due to his leadership, it was exciting for him to receive a “London Calling” telephone call from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that enabled his radio work to be aired on that international network. His recognition in many areas brought him the prestigious Joan Shorenstein Barone Congressional Journalism Fellowship, involving a one-year stint working in the halls of Congress. What is more important was his translation of that experience into a nationally award-winning radio documentary that featured “Women in Congress.”
As an educator, Dr. Franklin blends innovative, engaging learning in an atmosphere that encourages students to be their best. One of his class projects included student involvement in the community to complete a documentary on the genocide in Darfur. When building student programming, Dr. Franklin exhibits strong discipline in the planning, development, implementation, and coordination of the programs. He takes pride in his work and his passion for educating students shines through in his programs. He has impeccable leadership and mentoring skills that allow him to create exceptional students involved in programs that change communities.
He has engaged local groups to support community development using music from diverse populations. His teaching in China, contacts in South Africa and in Ethiopia, as well as his work for the homeless in Omaha, demonstrated his sensitivity and response to the needs of diverse peoples. He translates his concerns into action using the various media with his staff to move from theory into practice. Dr. Franklin is highly motivated, well-organized, and works well with diverse constituencies. He establishes rapport easily among administrators, faculty, staff, and students. These skills afford him the opportunity to take the initiative to form collaborative relationships between multiple departments within the university and the community.
For more than 26 years, Dr. Franklin strives to make the community a better place through his award-winning programming, his commitment to educational excellence, and his tireless work throughout the community is a fitting tribute to his legacy as a PhD. graduate of Arkansas State University and a Masters of Arts and Bachelor of Science graduate of Jackson State University. Dr. Franklin's journey has allowed him to educate, empower, and give back to his community, for which he is extremely proud.
Please send a message or ask a question using this form or email: greenthumbfoundationinc@gmail.com
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