August 2, 2022 • 31 mins
Today host Louis Carr speaks with Patrick Franklin, president and CEO of Urban League Of Palm Beach County, FL.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm Louis cart host to the Blueprint Connect podcast. The
Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Blueprint Men,
something where we have consistently given men a prescription book
not just for themselves, but also for their families and
their communities. During these podcasts, we will educate and motivate
our listeners about entrepreneurship, careers, finances, health and wellness, and relationship.
(00:28):
And on today's episode, Patrick Franklin, director of the West
Palm Beach Urban League, Welcome, Patrick, Luis, thanks for having
me this morning. Thank you. How's it been going. Oh,
it's wonderful. We we are just getting um back to
work with our new school um session and we're dealing
(00:51):
with COVID left and right here in Florida and it's
not getting any better and hopefully we can turn the corner.
But we have a lot of people in our way
right now. Well, we're gonna talk about some of that today.
Uh well, Patrick, I want to start with the basics.
We have a lot of young people who listened to
our podcast, and a lot of them don't know what
(01:13):
the Urban League is, why I was started, when it
was founded, and what your current mission is. So can
you just take us through some of the basics. What
is the Urban League. The Urban League is a national
organization based in New York City. It was starting in
(01:35):
nineteen ten by a white philanthropist woman who decided that
she needs to help black folks who are migrating from
the South Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, to Chicago, Detroit in Ohio.
And when she saw the conditions that they were living in.
And remember at nineteen ten, these are people are coming
off plantations and they were going to these large cities
(01:56):
and trying to find work. They were uneducated, no skills
as far as the industrial manufacturing era would go. They
only worked agriculture. Uh, they had no formal education whatsoever.
They were living in slums and high rises and slums
and in these major cities, and they had poor health,
(02:17):
poor diets. And she said she had to do something
about it. So she started the National Urban League and
it migrated across UM too many different areas across the
country up to about a hundred and fifteen affiliates that
that we call our chapters affiliates UM. Right now we
have about ninety one across across thirty five states. Right now,
(02:40):
we have eight in the state of Florida, and we
work on the basics housing, jobs, education, health, community development,
and advocacy for those who don't have a voice for
civil rights. That's who the National Urban League is. That's
who we are as urban affiliates across the country. Now,
(03:00):
not all of us are the exact same um. We
are dedicated and predicated to what we all local because
for some of us we are we are We run
and owned taughter schools, some of us run daycares, some
of us run um community centers. It all depends what
would advocates best in your location. But the core business
(03:22):
of housing, jobs, education, we all do that, and we
do that in our own way, but work with our
local governments, work with our local community leaders to make
sure that our families, our black families, those families underserved
the inner city locations are being served properly. So that's
the core of of who we are as far as
(03:44):
the National League and the League affiliates across the country.
So as uh as a millennial, how should a millennial
look at the Urban League? Should they look at the
Urban League is something that can serve them or should
they look at the Urban League it's something that could
serve their parents or whatever. I look at it ways.
(04:07):
I look at it both ways because the millenial the
millennials got here because their parents were served by the
Urban League back in the day. And I can't tell
you over my twenty years of the Urban League that
so many people have come to me. My parents got
their first job through the Urban League, no matter if
you were in Atlanta or New York or Chicago, they
got their first job because we were really focused on
(04:28):
job training back in when their parents were coming up.
But the millennials today are there to support us in
a way of volunteerism, in a way of philanthropy, in
the way of giving back and helping those that that
need help because so many of our our people are
hurting out there right now, and so many don't know
(04:49):
because we're being isolated. We were were isolated from what
the hardcore facts are. Right now, many people don't understand
that poverty exists. That um, the majority of our public
school students here in Palm Beach County or on free
and reduce lunch in public schools were the tenth largest
school district in the country, and of our kids are
(05:10):
on free and reduce lunch here in Palm Beach County.
So when we put the facts out there, people have
a different understanding of what's going on. But I look
to my millennials as how can you help me help
these kids get through middle school and high school? Now,
how can you be a good mentor? Because you may
have the basis and you've come through the pipeline so far,
(05:33):
and I need your help back back to UH speak
truth to power to our young people, to those much
younger than you that are that are facing so many
obstacles right now? Do I get involved with gains? Do
I get involved with drugs? Do I get involved and
drop out of school? Um? So I looked to them
(05:53):
millennials to not only look to to work with us,
but I look to them to to see if if
you're ready to step up to be the next Urgan
League leader, to be the next manager or vice president
within our organization. We have a big, robust organization, and
um we provide jobs. We are a job provider and
we also UM a lot of the millennials that that
(06:16):
that come to me, I help them make their way
to their next job. I make that link between well,
if you're in finance, I know the bank president. Okay,
let's let's talk about maybe your your next step, maybe
uh that I can maybe help you migrate onto your
next career path. So there are many ways for us
(06:36):
to to touch base and to connect with our millennials.
And I think it's a golden opportunity right now. And
I have so many that come back and get back
to us. So Patrick, Uh, Palm Beach County. When people
hear the word Palm Beach, they don't think that there's
really any needs or people there that need service. Talked
(06:58):
about how did they affiliated get in Palm Beach and
what sort of demographics are Palm Beach. Because I'll be honest, Patrick,
when I heard that you service Palm Beach County, I
was like, beach absolutely us about that, all right? So
we were started back in nineteen seventy three. Nineteen seventy
(07:20):
three here in Palm Beach County, our affiliate was born,
and it was it came from a group of concerned
citizens that that knew that we needed help. We needed
help with housing, with fair housing, We needed help with
um F rated schools and in our neighborhoods, we needed
help with poor health conditions and um no access Toto healthcare.
(07:42):
We were segregated hospitals here in Palm Beach County, and
on and on and on. So we came to a
point where we came in to help those in need.
Right in our own community. We had a small black
community called Rivier Beach. We had a small black munity
in the city of West Palm Beach. But when you
(08:02):
when you put all these small black communities together in
the Glades area, in Riviera Beach and Boyton Beach, in
Delray Beach, and in city of West Palm Beach, we
had a lot of black folks. Right now, we we
have we have close to um at a one point
five million people in Palm Beach County. We have we
have almost eighteen percent of black. Eighteen percent of that
(08:24):
population is black people. Now I'm not including our Caribbean
brothers and sisters because sometimes they don't want to be
said to be included in in in in the African
American category. But when I add them, it's a little
higher than that because we have a large Caribbean um
population here. But the need is great. When I talk
about free and reduced lunch, when I talk about public
(08:47):
schools and our kids we have. We have f rated
schools in our black community that are struggling to survive. UM.
They're not funded properly, that they don't have the right
mode of teachers that that that are rapping their arms
around these kids and saying, yes, you can, UM, you
can be successful. UM. Palm Beach County has a very
(09:09):
very structured mode of of economics. We're based on tourism.
We're based on m tourism. Now we've got financial banking
coming in, but we're based on tourism. Who serves those
those resorts, the breakers in the four seasons and in
a book return resourts? Who are who's who's um doing?
(09:29):
The grounds of work at all these hundred and eighty
five golf courses we have in Palm County, they're mostly
black and people of color that are working at all
these establishments that that that are working in the hotels
and restaurants, and you're talking thousands of people, but they're
working at minimum wage jobs and not most of them
don't even have living wage jobs. It is expensive to
(09:51):
live here in Palm Beach County. If you don't have
a car, you're a you're a you're at which set
and transportation is not as um uh I would say
as robust is New York of Chicago at our Atlanta,
and we don't have a buss so that you can,
you know, snap your fingers in and you know the
bus will be here in five minutes. So um, when
(10:13):
you put all that together, you look at unaffordable housing
Palm Beach County. The average house, the cost of our
house in Palm Beach County is three hundred and seventy
five thousand dollars. Where can a person that's making ten
twelve dollars an hour, a one income family or a
two income family and making less than thirty thousand dollars,
(10:36):
what housing can there ford here in Palm Beach County.
Very few? Our inventory is very low. Low in housing
is not um plentiful. So we have people that are
living in the county north to US, north north of
US in Port St. Lucy in Morton County, they're having
(10:56):
to drive an hour into town to work because they
can only afford a home or rent an hour away.
So again, transportation is an issue. So when you put
all these things together, housing, unaffordable housing, you have poor
s um poor rated schools in the low income areas.
In our Title one schools, you have food judgess throughout
(11:18):
Palm Beach County. In the low income areas, you have
UM high unemployment in those areas. When you put all
that together, that's why we have an Urban League in
Palm Beach County. That's why we're here to support all
those individuals who are working at these resorts and tourism
UM that need our our help to fight for affordable housing,
(11:39):
to create affordable housing. We create affordable housing UM to
help those who want to become homeowners get them ready
through our home UM home by our counseling classes that
that we offer every week. So that's why the Urban
League is so important here in Palm Beach County. I
wish one day that we can put ourselves out of business,
but I don't see that in my lifetime. We'll be
(12:06):
right back with more of my interview after this quick break.
So with the death of George Floyd, it changed our country.
It basically changed the world. How has the Urban League
(12:29):
changed since that moment of time. We we went deep
into the aspects of racial justice, criminal justice reform, all
those areas. I have been for the pass UM almost
one year now I'm the co chair of the Mayor
the City of West Palm Beach, the Mayor's Task Force
(12:51):
on Racial Equity and and and Justice Reform. We meet
twice a month with a with the whole cadre of
UM residents from the City of West Palm Beach. We
held two summits over the past year where we we've
attracted almost a thousand people at at each summit to
get their input on criminal justice reform, to get their
(13:12):
input on blight and how we can do better in
the city of West Palm Beach, which is our biggest
city here in Palm Beach County. UM. The one thing
that we haven't done, Louis is followed the model that
that we have done in the past. Because of COVID,
I have not called town hall meetings in person. We've
(13:33):
held a couple of virtually, but we we are We
were a group known to call call us all together,
bring us in the room, bring the noise up as
loud as we can, listen to everybody, and then bring
the facts forward to to help us understanding and educate
our people on the fact UM. COVID has changed that
(13:53):
for us. So we've been in the virtual mode for
a year and a half now and we will continue
in that aspect. But we understand the need for change.
We understand that that the need to hear residents and
it's been it's been a difficult time, but we're bought
to deliver with the mass task Force. We're about to
deliver our recommendations. In fact, we went over the last
(14:15):
night and I'm very very pleased with the recommendation that
we got. We got we're gonna bring forth in criminal
justice reform and education and health and finance, banking and
business and also in real estate because we we really
try to turn over all the rocks that presented themselves
with injustice as for as racial injustice and inequities. And
(14:39):
you know, I I think the work that that we've
done in this task force has been has been very
well put together and time well spent. So uh. One
of my friends, UH, when I told him I was
interviewing you, said, ask him, what is the primary difference
between the Urban League and the l A c P.
(15:00):
M hmm. I've always I've always used this model, um
this um explanation. The nuble a c P. To me
is the is our flagship organization that leads the legal
aspects and will help with the um policy and legal
(15:21):
aspects of issues that that affect our people. If you
have a discrimination case, if you have issues dealing with
racial inequities. The end the end of U a CP
is where the avenue that I send clients to. I
don't have a legal on. Within the Urban League we
are programs and services. We are program services and community
(15:43):
driven change and empowerment. Double a c P is the
legal on to take those legal issues too and try
to get resolution through that aspect. The one thing that
that I'm very afraid of, Lewis, is that I had
when I started at Urban League back in two thousand two,
there were three in a CPS in Palm Beach County,
(16:04):
three one in one in South County and Delray Beach,
one in the in central Palm Beach, in the city
of West Palm Beach base in fact they met at
my office, and one in the Bell Glade area. Right
now we have zero. We have zero active in a
c P chapters within Palm Beach County. Uh they're active
(16:28):
in Browerd and Miami Dade and we send cases down
in that area to be resolved. Got it. Thank you?
So much for that. Now here's one of the tough
questions of the day. COVID nineteen State of Florida. How
(16:49):
is the urbanly helping to address h African Americans and
their view of the vaccine during this particular time when
cases are just raging in that state? Luis, I'm I'm
gonna go back to the beginning, and I'm gonna I'm
(17:09):
gonna work my way back to the backs um Early
on when when we shut down our office and went remote,
I was very concerned because our governor did not see
the needs. He followed the leader of the president at
the time to engage with a full throated effort towards testing.
(17:33):
And I noticed point blank that we weren't testing a
lot of African Americans. As I looked at the pictures
of the mass testing at the central center, at the
centralized testing locations where cars were lined up for hours,
and I kept seeing just people who didn't look like us,
over and over and over again. I contacted my county
(17:54):
at administrator and I said, what are we doing to
to test black folks in the in the in the community,
because we have to get there. And I made phone
calls and got around to different organizations that had a
healthcare perspective as their main objective, and I said, okay, look,
if you can get the tests, I will make that.
(18:15):
I will make the logistics happen and the places happened.
So the Urban League we set up pop up testing
we called it throughout Palm Beach County and we went
into the neighborhoods. We went into the neighborhoods where it
was so inviting to people that they walked up. They
didn't have to have a car, they could walk up
and get tested. They could ride their bike, I had,
(18:35):
I had people on walkers, I had people in wheelchairs
that were coming up in the neighborhoods when we were
there asking for a test. We did that for several
months and it worked very well. Fast forward to the vaccine.
When that came out. Everyone that wanted the vaccine, we
(18:56):
did everything we could to get the vaccine. We made
every phone call we could, Where can I get it?
How can I get it? So we had the governor
gave us five thousand shots, five thousand shots in the
first week of February because we begged for him to
give us shots in the black in the black community,
the first attempt that that was made was the weekend
(19:20):
I know, forget this, the weekend of MLK weekend. On
that Saturday of the MLK weekend, the governor came out
and said he was gonna working with black churches across
the state chat minister vaccine to black people. That Saturday,
they went to one of our oldest black churches here
in Palm Beach County and a news crew from CBS
(19:41):
came in on for the for for the weekend, just
to capture the activities from from from this UH first
vaccines in the black community. And when I got there, Lewis,
it was about eighty five white folks who did not
have an idea of where they wore in the in
the neighborhood. They came from all over because what happened,
(20:04):
instead of us having control of the shots, it was
opened up to anyone on the on the on the internet.
Our people want that savvy to get on the internet
and sign up. They came forward and I said, what
a travesty, what a joke this is that we targeted
a black community, a black church, and the people they're
getting shots were white that had never been in this community.
(20:28):
So we came back and said, let's do it right
this time. We came back the first week in February
and we were giving five thousand shots. I wasn't responsible
twelve hundred shots at a location right across the streets
from from my affiliate, and we gave our twelve shots
and eight hours. And I wanted more at the time,
(20:51):
but that's all I was in to put my hands
on that that that we can push out. So we
did that. We gave up the second shot the first
week in March, and I was so grateful, was because
so many, I would say it was just the flip
side of the people in line were from our community.
They were our senior citizens, because you have to be
sixty five over to do that. And I was just
(21:12):
so grateful because people were so thankful just to get
the shot back there. So fast forward. Now it's where
we are today. I am frustrated, absolutely frustrated with the
outcome that we're seen right now from UM my black community,
especially my young young people thirty thirty two years and under,
(21:36):
who are refusing to get the vaccination, who are refusing
for whatever reason. And I've heard everything from under the sun. Um,
they made it too fast. Why haven't they solved AIDS.
Why haven't you know? I don't trust the government. I
don't trust Trump. Um, I'm gonna wait to see the
the effects after two years f DA didn't approve it,
(21:58):
and and the the one that this knocks me off
my feet. God hasn't talked to me. God hasn't talked
to me. And we're at a point in time where
black folks are dying at a rate three or four
times higher than any of the population or race around.
We're getting infected at an alarming rate. Just yesterday Florida
(22:19):
hit the highest rate of infection, is the highest rate
of depth that we've ever hit in the whole pandemic period.
And our governor saying, quote, we're in the COVID season.
I expect that to happen. So when when we get
to this point right now, and I'm trying my best
lawis and and I'm gonna use my own urban League
(22:41):
affiliate as an example. I have done everything that I
can to encourage the handful of my staff that are
still unvaccinated to get vaccinated. I've given pto time off,
I've given gift cards, I've given a salary bonus. I've
talked about it for months. Every two weeks at our
(23:03):
staff meeting. COVID is the first and the last thing
on my list of of of of issues to talk about. UM.
The one thing I don't want to hear again. I
don't want to get a phone call and I've been
getting them for one every week now from a young
stafford that says Mr Franklin, I'm in the hospital. I
(23:23):
have COVID. I've gotten that call three times in the
last two months. I don't want to hear that call
any anymore because I tell people, yes, you can get
COVID if you have the vaccination. Yes you can, and
it's not but I'm not gonna die. There's no statistics
(23:44):
that that has showed me right now that is any
valid point that I'm gonna die because I got the
vaccine from COVID and I just I just really disrush
it without young people who who are standing back waiting.
And it's not a matter of when you're going to
get the viruses, UM, not if you're gonna get it,
(24:06):
it's when you're gonna get it, especially here dot dot
down in Florida. And one of the things that that
that I'm really UM scared of right now is that
it's been my mutated and passed on around around everywhere
and you can't see it, you can't feel it, you
can't smell it, and you know, we don't know who's
(24:28):
faccinated or not. But I think personally it's the best.
It's the best thing that we can do to protect
ourselves right now in this day and time. Wow. Uh,
it is a challenging, challenging time. We'll be right back
(24:48):
with more of my interview after this quick break. So Patrick, clearly,
what you do says that you are a way mate. There,
there's no doubt your your everyday job says you are
(25:09):
a way mate. We believe that every successful person has
had a way mate. Talk to us about some of
the people who have been way makers for you, Lewis.
I look back. I started with my parents. Um, my
parents laid the groundwork. I'm the oldest of four boys,
(25:29):
and my father tells me all the time now he's
uh eighty six years old and he tells me all
the time. He said, thank you for basically being a
father back when I was working all the time and
you know, keeping your brothers in a lot and things
like that. But I learned from him the true value
(25:50):
of work, the work ethic and get it right there.
He always saw me get it right the first time.
And because if you do it right the first time
there and do your best, you can't I can't get
nothing else from you. And I truly believe that. I
look back, Luis at the teachers that I had all
through middle school and high school, elementary that believed in
(26:13):
me and and and told me I was I'm going
to be somebody one day and never let me, never
let that go past me. Um, work hard and something
good will come from from working hard in school and
always did that. UM. I look back at the coaches
that that I played sports. I played every sport I
could all all all through UH all through high school,
(26:37):
and those those were gentlemen that that inspired me to
be my best all all the time, work hard, don't
don't give up. UM. And as I as I go
through my my last adult years, basically my my recently
adult years, I look back at a mentor that was
(26:58):
very very strong in in my background, a gentleman who
passed away about five years ago. Our first black judge
here in Palm Beach County, Judge Edward Rodgers who took
time to spend time with me to help me understand
Palm Beach County and help me understand the people who
he had who he grew up with there in the county,
(27:20):
and to um give me that call every now and
then and said what are you doing? What are you doing?
Did you think about this? Did you think about that?
And those are people that that have had really given
me the inspiration and have been that way maker for
me and in my life. And Um, there are the
(27:43):
other the other person basically who has given me the
opportunity to do what I do basically right now is
my wife Chelle Um. Without her and her ability to
let me do what I do. I don't have a
I don't have a normal job I have. If it
wasn't for COVID, I wouldn't be at home working right now. Um.
(28:04):
I didn't know what it what it what it meant
to be home during the day, Okay, I had no
idea what it meant to be home during the day.
I saw, Oh my god, I I can give you
a whole lot of color around that. All right, Look
look I I you know we we would meet up
when I'm here now. We would have lunch about two
(28:27):
o'clock in the afternoon. I would come out my office,
should come out of her office, and we have lunch.
We go like, wow, we really never did this before.
Uh So it gave us an opportunity to re engage
with each other just a little bit more than than
what we've had so um, you know, it's it's been
a series of people. I can't put my finger on
just one, but um, it was the start, it was
(28:49):
the middle, and as as we come towards, you know,
rounding out this so called career, Um, who knows who's
who's gonna be the next. So hopefully, hopefully I I
can show some leadership to somebody else who who's who's
behind me? And and and and really help those And
that that's what frustrates me list because I feel like
I haven't. I keep reaching to see how can I
(29:13):
reach our young people, how can I reach them at
their level, at their place, to make them understand that
I've seen a few things. And sometimes you gotta trust people,
and you may not trust the government for now, but
now is a good time to start, you know, with
this vaccine. For Patrick, thank you so much for uh
(29:35):
sharing with us today. Thank you for being away maker. Personally,
we thank the Urban League for all the work that
they have done over many, many, many, many many decades,
and we asked you to continue to do that. And
uh we hope that things turn around in the state
(29:57):
of Florida in regards to COVID nineteen. Uh, don't give
up on them. You can't. No, I don't think your
job will let you give up on um. No. No,
we we we can't. We can't. We we we we
because look we we we have we have a Saint
of Durban League is that our children equal our destiny.
And if we can't support these young people right now
(30:20):
where they are and put them on the path and
try to keep them at the bestment we can, then
we're gonna We're not gonna sustain. We're not going to sustain.
I mean, I tell I'll tell our young kids whenever
I get to talk to our youth groups, I said,
which one of you are going to be the next cardiologist?
And I'm gonna need to keep me alive in the
next ten twenty years. Okay, which one of you want
(30:43):
to be the next leader here at the league? I
need you, I need you to be ready to step
up and don't be afraid to step up. Thank you
for that.
I'm Louis cart host to the Blueprint Connect podcast. The
Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Blueprint Men,
something where we have consistently given men a prescription book
not just for themselves, but also for their families and
their communities. During these podcasts, we will educate and motivate
our listeners about entrepreneurship, careers, finances, health and wellness, and relationship.
(00:28):
And on today's episode, Patrick Franklin, director of the West
Palm Beach Urban League, Welcome, Patrick, Luis, thanks for having
me this morning. Thank you. How's it been going. Oh,
it's wonderful. We we are just getting um back to
work with our new school um session and we're dealing
(00:51):
with COVID left and right here in Florida and it's
not getting any better and hopefully we can turn the corner.
But we have a lot of people in our way
right now. Well, we're gonna talk about some of that today.
Uh well, Patrick, I want to start with the basics.
We have a lot of young people who listened to
our podcast, and a lot of them don't know what
(01:13):
the Urban League is, why I was started, when it
was founded, and what your current mission is. So can
you just take us through some of the basics. What
is the Urban League. The Urban League is a national
organization based in New York City. It was starting in
(01:35):
nineteen ten by a white philanthropist woman who decided that
she needs to help black folks who are migrating from
the South Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, to Chicago, Detroit in Ohio.
And when she saw the conditions that they were living in.
And remember at nineteen ten, these are people are coming
off plantations and they were going to these large cities
(01:56):
and trying to find work. They were uneducated, no skills
as far as the industrial manufacturing era would go. They
only worked agriculture. Uh, they had no formal education whatsoever.
They were living in slums and high rises and slums
and in these major cities, and they had poor health,
(02:17):
poor diets. And she said she had to do something
about it. So she started the National Urban League and
it migrated across UM too many different areas across the
country up to about a hundred and fifteen affiliates that
that we call our chapters affiliates UM. Right now we
have about ninety one across across thirty five states. Right now,
(02:40):
we have eight in the state of Florida, and we
work on the basics housing, jobs, education, health, community development,
and advocacy for those who don't have a voice for
civil rights. That's who the National Urban League is. That's
who we are as urban affiliates across the country. Now,
(03:00):
not all of us are the exact same um. We
are dedicated and predicated to what we all local because
for some of us we are we are We run
and owned taughter schools, some of us run daycares, some
of us run um community centers. It all depends what
would advocates best in your location. But the core business
(03:22):
of housing, jobs, education, we all do that, and we
do that in our own way, but work with our
local governments, work with our local community leaders to make
sure that our families, our black families, those families underserved
the inner city locations are being served properly. So that's
the core of of who we are as far as
(03:44):
the National League and the League affiliates across the country.
So as uh as a millennial, how should a millennial
look at the Urban League? Should they look at the
Urban League is something that can serve them or should
they look at the Urban League it's something that could
serve their parents or whatever. I look at it ways.
(04:07):
I look at it both ways because the millenial the
millennials got here because their parents were served by the
Urban League back in the day. And I can't tell
you over my twenty years of the Urban League that
so many people have come to me. My parents got
their first job through the Urban League, no matter if
you were in Atlanta or New York or Chicago, they
got their first job because we were really focused on
(04:28):
job training back in when their parents were coming up.
But the millennials today are there to support us in
a way of volunteerism, in a way of philanthropy, in
the way of giving back and helping those that that
need help because so many of our our people are
hurting out there right now, and so many don't know
(04:49):
because we're being isolated. We were were isolated from what
the hardcore facts are. Right now, many people don't understand
that poverty exists. That um, the majority of our public
school students here in Palm Beach County or on free
and reduce lunch in public schools were the tenth largest
school district in the country, and of our kids are
(05:10):
on free and reduce lunch here in Palm Beach County.
So when we put the facts out there, people have
a different understanding of what's going on. But I look
to my millennials as how can you help me help
these kids get through middle school and high school? Now,
how can you be a good mentor? Because you may
have the basis and you've come through the pipeline so far,
(05:33):
and I need your help back back to UH speak
truth to power to our young people, to those much
younger than you that are that are facing so many
obstacles right now? Do I get involved with gains? Do
I get involved with drugs? Do I get involved and
drop out of school? Um? So I looked to them
(05:53):
millennials to not only look to to work with us,
but I look to them to to see if if
you're ready to step up to be the next Urgan
League leader, to be the next manager or vice president
within our organization. We have a big, robust organization, and
um we provide jobs. We are a job provider and
we also UM a lot of the millennials that that
(06:16):
that come to me, I help them make their way
to their next job. I make that link between well,
if you're in finance, I know the bank president. Okay,
let's let's talk about maybe your your next step, maybe
uh that I can maybe help you migrate onto your
next career path. So there are many ways for us
(06:36):
to to touch base and to connect with our millennials.
And I think it's a golden opportunity right now. And
I have so many that come back and get back
to us. So Patrick, Uh, Palm Beach County. When people
hear the word Palm Beach, they don't think that there's
really any needs or people there that need service. Talked
(06:58):
about how did they affiliated get in Palm Beach and
what sort of demographics are Palm Beach. Because I'll be honest, Patrick,
when I heard that you service Palm Beach County, I
was like, beach absolutely us about that, all right? So
we were started back in nineteen seventy three. Nineteen seventy
(07:20):
three here in Palm Beach County, our affiliate was born,
and it was it came from a group of concerned
citizens that that knew that we needed help. We needed
help with housing, with fair housing, We needed help with
um F rated schools and in our neighborhoods, we needed
help with poor health conditions and um no access Toto healthcare.
(07:42):
We were segregated hospitals here in Palm Beach County, and
on and on and on. So we came to a
point where we came in to help those in need.
Right in our own community. We had a small black
community called Rivier Beach. We had a small black munity
in the city of West Palm Beach. But when you
(08:02):
when you put all these small black communities together in
the Glades area, in Riviera Beach and Boyton Beach, in
Delray Beach, and in city of West Palm Beach, we
had a lot of black folks. Right now, we we
have we have close to um at a one point
five million people in Palm Beach County. We have we
have almost eighteen percent of black. Eighteen percent of that
(08:24):
population is black people. Now I'm not including our Caribbean
brothers and sisters because sometimes they don't want to be
said to be included in in in in the African
American category. But when I add them, it's a little
higher than that because we have a large Caribbean um
population here. But the need is great. When I talk
about free and reduced lunch, when I talk about public
(08:47):
schools and our kids we have. We have f rated
schools in our black community that are struggling to survive. UM.
They're not funded properly, that they don't have the right
mode of teachers that that that are rapping their arms
around these kids and saying, yes, you can, UM, you
can be successful. UM. Palm Beach County has a very
(09:09):
very structured mode of of economics. We're based on tourism.
We're based on m tourism. Now we've got financial banking
coming in, but we're based on tourism. Who serves those
those resorts, the breakers in the four seasons and in
a book return resourts? Who are who's who's um doing?
(09:29):
The grounds of work at all these hundred and eighty
five golf courses we have in Palm County, they're mostly
black and people of color that are working at all
these establishments that that that are working in the hotels
and restaurants, and you're talking thousands of people, but they're
working at minimum wage jobs and not most of them
don't even have living wage jobs. It is expensive to
(09:51):
live here in Palm Beach County. If you don't have
a car, you're a you're a you're at which set
and transportation is not as um uh I would say
as robust is New York of Chicago at our Atlanta,
and we don't have a buss so that you can,
you know, snap your fingers in and you know the
bus will be here in five minutes. So um, when
(10:13):
you put all that together, you look at unaffordable housing
Palm Beach County. The average house, the cost of our
house in Palm Beach County is three hundred and seventy
five thousand dollars. Where can a person that's making ten
twelve dollars an hour, a one income family or a
two income family and making less than thirty thousand dollars,
(10:36):
what housing can there ford here in Palm Beach County.
Very few? Our inventory is very low. Low in housing
is not um plentiful. So we have people that are
living in the county north to US, north north of
US in Port St. Lucy in Morton County, they're having
(10:56):
to drive an hour into town to work because they
can only afford a home or rent an hour away.
So again, transportation is an issue. So when you put
all these things together, housing, unaffordable housing, you have poor
s um poor rated schools in the low income areas.
In our Title one schools, you have food judgess throughout
(11:18):
Palm Beach County. In the low income areas, you have
UM high unemployment in those areas. When you put all
that together, that's why we have an Urban League in
Palm Beach County. That's why we're here to support all
those individuals who are working at these resorts and tourism
UM that need our our help to fight for affordable housing,
(11:39):
to create affordable housing. We create affordable housing UM to
help those who want to become homeowners get them ready
through our home UM home by our counseling classes that
that we offer every week. So that's why the Urban
League is so important here in Palm Beach County. I
wish one day that we can put ourselves out of business,
but I don't see that in my lifetime. We'll be
(12:06):
right back with more of my interview after this quick break.
So with the death of George Floyd, it changed our country.
It basically changed the world. How has the Urban League
(12:29):
changed since that moment of time. We we went deep
into the aspects of racial justice, criminal justice reform, all
those areas. I have been for the pass UM almost
one year now I'm the co chair of the Mayor
the City of West Palm Beach, the Mayor's Task Force
(12:51):
on Racial Equity and and and Justice Reform. We meet
twice a month with a with the whole cadre of
UM residents from the City of West Palm Beach. We
held two summits over the past year where we we've
attracted almost a thousand people at at each summit to
get their input on criminal justice reform, to get their
(13:12):
input on blight and how we can do better in
the city of West Palm Beach, which is our biggest
city here in Palm Beach County. UM. The one thing
that we haven't done, Louis is followed the model that
that we have done in the past. Because of COVID,
I have not called town hall meetings in person. We've
(13:33):
held a couple of virtually, but we we are We
were a group known to call call us all together,
bring us in the room, bring the noise up as
loud as we can, listen to everybody, and then bring
the facts forward to to help us understanding and educate
our people on the fact UM. COVID has changed that
(13:53):
for us. So we've been in the virtual mode for
a year and a half now and we will continue
in that aspect. But we understand the need for change.
We understand that that the need to hear residents and
it's been it's been a difficult time, but we're bought
to deliver with the mass task Force. We're about to
deliver our recommendations. In fact, we went over the last
(14:15):
night and I'm very very pleased with the recommendation that
we got. We got we're gonna bring forth in criminal
justice reform and education and health and finance, banking and
business and also in real estate because we we really
try to turn over all the rocks that presented themselves
with injustice as for as racial injustice and inequities. And
(14:39):
you know, I I think the work that that we've
done in this task force has been has been very
well put together and time well spent. So uh. One
of my friends, UH, when I told him I was
interviewing you, said, ask him, what is the primary difference
between the Urban League and the l A c P.
(15:00):
M hmm. I've always I've always used this model, um
this um explanation. The nuble a c P. To me
is the is our flagship organization that leads the legal
aspects and will help with the um policy and legal
(15:21):
aspects of issues that that affect our people. If you
have a discrimination case, if you have issues dealing with
racial inequities. The end the end of U a CP
is where the avenue that I send clients to. I
don't have a legal on. Within the Urban League we
are programs and services. We are program services and community
(15:43):
driven change and empowerment. Double a c P is the
legal on to take those legal issues too and try
to get resolution through that aspect. The one thing that
that I'm very afraid of, Lewis, is that I had
when I started at Urban League back in two thousand two,
there were three in a CPS in Palm Beach County,
(16:04):
three one in one in South County and Delray Beach,
one in the in central Palm Beach, in the city
of West Palm Beach base in fact they met at
my office, and one in the Bell Glade area. Right
now we have zero. We have zero active in a
c P chapters within Palm Beach County. Uh they're active
(16:28):
in Browerd and Miami Dade and we send cases down
in that area to be resolved. Got it. Thank you?
So much for that. Now here's one of the tough
questions of the day. COVID nineteen State of Florida. How
(16:49):
is the urbanly helping to address h African Americans and
their view of the vaccine during this particular time when
cases are just raging in that state? Luis, I'm I'm
gonna go back to the beginning, and I'm gonna I'm
(17:09):
gonna work my way back to the backs um Early
on when when we shut down our office and went remote,
I was very concerned because our governor did not see
the needs. He followed the leader of the president at
the time to engage with a full throated effort towards testing.
(17:33):
And I noticed point blank that we weren't testing a
lot of African Americans. As I looked at the pictures
of the mass testing at the central center, at the
centralized testing locations where cars were lined up for hours,
and I kept seeing just people who didn't look like us,
over and over and over again. I contacted my county
(17:54):
at administrator and I said, what are we doing to
to test black folks in the in the in the community,
because we have to get there. And I made phone
calls and got around to different organizations that had a
healthcare perspective as their main objective, and I said, okay, look,
if you can get the tests, I will make that.
(18:15):
I will make the logistics happen and the places happened.
So the Urban League we set up pop up testing
we called it throughout Palm Beach County and we went
into the neighborhoods. We went into the neighborhoods where it
was so inviting to people that they walked up. They
didn't have to have a car, they could walk up
and get tested. They could ride their bike, I had,
(18:35):
I had people on walkers, I had people in wheelchairs
that were coming up in the neighborhoods when we were
there asking for a test. We did that for several
months and it worked very well. Fast forward to the vaccine.
When that came out. Everyone that wanted the vaccine, we
(18:56):
did everything we could to get the vaccine. We made
every phone call we could, Where can I get it?
How can I get it? So we had the governor
gave us five thousand shots, five thousand shots in the
first week of February because we begged for him to
give us shots in the black in the black community,
the first attempt that that was made was the weekend
(19:20):
I know, forget this, the weekend of MLK weekend. On
that Saturday of the MLK weekend, the governor came out
and said he was gonna working with black churches across
the state chat minister vaccine to black people. That Saturday,
they went to one of our oldest black churches here
in Palm Beach County and a news crew from CBS
(19:41):
came in on for the for for the weekend, just
to capture the activities from from from this UH first
vaccines in the black community. And when I got there, Lewis,
it was about eighty five white folks who did not
have an idea of where they wore in the in
the neighborhood. They came from all over because what happened,
(20:04):
instead of us having control of the shots, it was
opened up to anyone on the on the on the internet.
Our people want that savvy to get on the internet
and sign up. They came forward and I said, what
a travesty, what a joke this is that we targeted
a black community, a black church, and the people they're
getting shots were white that had never been in this community.
(20:28):
So we came back and said, let's do it right
this time. We came back the first week in February
and we were giving five thousand shots. I wasn't responsible
twelve hundred shots at a location right across the streets
from from my affiliate, and we gave our twelve shots
and eight hours. And I wanted more at the time,
(20:51):
but that's all I was in to put my hands
on that that that we can push out. So we
did that. We gave up the second shot the first
week in March, and I was so grateful, was because
so many, I would say it was just the flip
side of the people in line were from our community.
They were our senior citizens, because you have to be
sixty five over to do that. And I was just
(21:12):
so grateful because people were so thankful just to get
the shot back there. So fast forward. Now it's where
we are today. I am frustrated, absolutely frustrated with the
outcome that we're seen right now from UM my black community,
especially my young young people thirty thirty two years and under,
(21:36):
who are refusing to get the vaccination, who are refusing
for whatever reason. And I've heard everything from under the sun. Um,
they made it too fast. Why haven't they solved AIDS.
Why haven't you know? I don't trust the government. I
don't trust Trump. Um, I'm gonna wait to see the
the effects after two years f DA didn't approve it,
(21:58):
and and the the one that this knocks me off
my feet. God hasn't talked to me. God hasn't talked
to me. And we're at a point in time where
black folks are dying at a rate three or four
times higher than any of the population or race around.
We're getting infected at an alarming rate. Just yesterday Florida
(22:19):
hit the highest rate of infection, is the highest rate
of depth that we've ever hit in the whole pandemic period.
And our governor saying, quote, we're in the COVID season.
I expect that to happen. So when when we get
to this point right now, and I'm trying my best
lawis and and I'm gonna use my own urban League
(22:41):
affiliate as an example. I have done everything that I
can to encourage the handful of my staff that are
still unvaccinated to get vaccinated. I've given pto time off,
I've given gift cards, I've given a salary bonus. I've
talked about it for months. Every two weeks at our
(23:03):
staff meeting. COVID is the first and the last thing
on my list of of of of issues to talk about. UM.
The one thing I don't want to hear again. I
don't want to get a phone call and I've been
getting them for one every week now from a young
stafford that says Mr Franklin, I'm in the hospital. I
(23:23):
have COVID. I've gotten that call three times in the
last two months. I don't want to hear that call
any anymore because I tell people, yes, you can get
COVID if you have the vaccination. Yes you can, and
it's not but I'm not gonna die. There's no statistics
(23:44):
that that has showed me right now that is any
valid point that I'm gonna die because I got the
vaccine from COVID and I just I just really disrush
it without young people who who are standing back waiting.
And it's not a matter of when you're going to
get the viruses, UM, not if you're gonna get it,
(24:06):
it's when you're gonna get it, especially here dot dot
down in Florida. And one of the things that that
that I'm really UM scared of right now is that
it's been my mutated and passed on around around everywhere
and you can't see it, you can't feel it, you
can't smell it, and you know, we don't know who's
(24:28):
faccinated or not. But I think personally it's the best.
It's the best thing that we can do to protect
ourselves right now in this day and time. Wow. Uh,
it is a challenging, challenging time. We'll be right back
(24:48):
with more of my interview after this quick break. So Patrick, clearly,
what you do says that you are a way mate. There,
there's no doubt your your everyday job says you are
(25:09):
a way mate. We believe that every successful person has
had a way mate. Talk to us about some of
the people who have been way makers for you, Lewis.
I look back. I started with my parents. Um, my
parents laid the groundwork. I'm the oldest of four boys,
(25:29):
and my father tells me all the time now he's
uh eighty six years old and he tells me all
the time. He said, thank you for basically being a
father back when I was working all the time and
you know, keeping your brothers in a lot and things
like that. But I learned from him the true value
(25:50):
of work, the work ethic and get it right there.
He always saw me get it right the first time.
And because if you do it right the first time
there and do your best, you can't I can't get
nothing else from you. And I truly believe that. I
look back, Luis at the teachers that I had all
through middle school and high school, elementary that believed in
(26:13):
me and and and told me I was I'm going
to be somebody one day and never let me, never
let that go past me. Um, work hard and something
good will come from from working hard in school and
always did that. UM. I look back at the coaches
that that I played sports. I played every sport I
could all all all through UH all through high school,
(26:37):
and those those were gentlemen that that inspired me to
be my best all all the time, work hard, don't
don't give up. UM. And as I as I go
through my my last adult years, basically my my recently
adult years, I look back at a mentor that was
(26:58):
very very strong in in my background, a gentleman who
passed away about five years ago. Our first black judge
here in Palm Beach County, Judge Edward Rodgers who took
time to spend time with me to help me understand
Palm Beach County and help me understand the people who
he had who he grew up with there in the county,
(27:20):
and to um give me that call every now and
then and said what are you doing? What are you doing?
Did you think about this? Did you think about that?
And those are people that that have had really given
me the inspiration and have been that way maker for
me and in my life. And Um, there are the
(27:43):
other the other person basically who has given me the
opportunity to do what I do basically right now is
my wife Chelle Um. Without her and her ability to
let me do what I do. I don't have a
I don't have a normal job I have. If it
wasn't for COVID, I wouldn't be at home working right now. Um.
(28:04):
I didn't know what it what it what it meant
to be home during the day, Okay, I had no
idea what it meant to be home during the day.
I saw, Oh my god, I I can give you
a whole lot of color around that. All right, Look
look I I you know we we would meet up
when I'm here now. We would have lunch about two
(28:27):
o'clock in the afternoon. I would come out my office,
should come out of her office, and we have lunch.
We go like, wow, we really never did this before.
Uh So it gave us an opportunity to re engage
with each other just a little bit more than than
what we've had so um, you know, it's it's been
a series of people. I can't put my finger on
just one, but um, it was the start, it was
(28:49):
the middle, and as as we come towards, you know,
rounding out this so called career, Um, who knows who's
who's gonna be the next. So hopefully, hopefully I I
can show some leadership to somebody else who who's who's
behind me? And and and and really help those And
that that's what frustrates me list because I feel like
I haven't. I keep reaching to see how can I
(29:13):
reach our young people, how can I reach them at
their level, at their place, to make them understand that
I've seen a few things. And sometimes you gotta trust people,
and you may not trust the government for now, but
now is a good time to start, you know, with
this vaccine. For Patrick, thank you so much for uh
(29:35):
sharing with us today. Thank you for being away maker. Personally,
we thank the Urban League for all the work that
they have done over many, many, many, many many decades,
and we asked you to continue to do that. And
uh we hope that things turn around in the state
(29:57):
of Florida in regards to COVID nineteen. Uh, don't give
up on them. You can't. No, I don't think your
job will let you give up on um. No. No,
we we we can't. We can't. We we we we
because look we we we have we have a Saint
of Durban League is that our children equal our destiny.
And if we can't support these young people right now
(30:20):
where they are and put them on the path and
try to keep them at the bestment we can, then
we're gonna We're not gonna sustain. We're not going to sustain.
I mean, I tell I'll tell our young kids whenever
I get to talk to our youth groups, I said,
which one of you are going to be the next cardiologist?
And I'm gonna need to keep me alive in the
next ten twenty years. Okay, which one of you want
(30:43):
to be the next leader here at the league? I
need you, I need you to be ready to step
up and don't be afraid to step up. Thank you
for that.
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