Meet Michael:

Michael Franklin (He/Him/His) is a proud soon to be graduate of the illustrious Howard University. He had the honor of serving as the 60th Vice President of the Howard University Student Association. Michael has a dense and diverse resume, working with The Collective PAC as their Interim Digital Director and currently serving as their Communications and Special Projects Coordinator. Michael previously worked with Fenway Strategies as a Speechwriting Intern, garnering his first experience writing for other principals in addition to helping craft an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion plan for the firm.

Michael's other professional experiences include teaching alongside professors at Stanford Law School, working with experienced experts at the Financial Integrity Network, and beginning his professional career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Michael organized the Inaugural Black Speechwriters Symposium held at Howard in partnership with the Professional Speechwriters Association in 2019 and is a 2x National Champion debater for the HBCU National Speech and Debate League. In October 2020, Michael co-founded Speechwriters of Color, a national organization dedicated to advocating for writers of color, amplifying their voices, strengthening recruitment, and promoting representation and professional development in the speechwriting industry.

Notably Michael is a member of the nationally-acclaimed Howard University Speech & Debate Team, Vice President for CASCADE, Howard University's largest & oldest LGBTQ+ organization at any HBCU.

In 2020, Michael participated in a reimagination of the Baldwin-Buckley Debate for the March on Washington Film Festival that has been viewed by nearly 250,000 people.

Michael lives by the quote from Minneapolis City Councilwoman. Andrea Jenkins, “My ancestors were enslaved in this country, and they hoped and prayed that someday, somebody like me would be able to have a role in shaping how we live. Now that dream has come to fruition. And even though we have a long way to go, we must hope that we will reach our goals. Otherwise, why get out of bed in the morning?”

Read more to learn about my co-curricular experience!