Senior Aki Franklin meets with senators in nation's capital, then with Governor Kate Brown

Photos courtesy Aki Franklin

Posted May 24, 2022

Staff Reporter

Senior Aki Franklin recently traveled to Washington D.C. from March 18-25, to meet with Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley on Capitol Hill before meeting with Governor Kate Brown in April at the Portland World Trade Center.

Franklin, previously a student at Madison High School, transferred to David Douglas in January of 2022. He has been involved in Word is Bond that led to his trip to Washington where he stayed for about a week and met the senators. Senator Wyden, 72, a member of the democratic party, has been an Oregon senator since 1996 and his current term ends in January 2023.

Senator Merkley, 65, also a member of the Democratic Party, has been an Oregon senator since 2009. He served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009.

Franklin went along with 12 other Portland youths, all from the Word is Bond organization. The youths were accompanied by the executive director of the organization, a community

outreach representative, and a couple other volunteers. Their main talking points were houslessness, gun violence, and gentrification. They discussed their upcoming policy proposal and received feedback, along with the proposed DASH Act and the billionaire tax plan. Franklin, along with the rest of the group, stayed at an inn. All expenses were paid by the organization using fundraisers and grants. In addition to his meeting with the senators, he visited the White House, saw the Declaration of Independence and visited Arlington National Cemetery.

Franklin recently met with Governor Kate Brown in April at the World Trade Center, accompanied with almost the same 12 youths and adults from the Washington DC trip. He spoke about the power of mentorship and his experience in Parenting With Intent, a program that aims to build strong connections for healthy communities.

“[We want to] bring the community back together and not have so many missing pieces,” said Franklin.

They discussed where tax return money should go and asked the governor to provide money towards a cadet program, increase pod development for the homeless, require a community center for every square feet area of the city, clemency and remission for individuals of previous marijuana crimes, and more federal scholarship opportunities for Black and BIPOC students.

Franklin has been involved in the local non-profit Word is Bond, founded by Lakayna Drury in 2017. Its aim is to serve young Black men, 16-21, in the Portland metro area. Their mission statement is to rewrite the narrative between young Black men and law enforcement through leadership development, critical dialogue, and engagement.

¨We empower young black men to speak their truths,¨ stated Drury.

The organization has two programs Rising Leaders, rites-of-passage summer program, and Word Up, school year leadership program. Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, a law enforcement officer, participated in their 2020 summer internship where he spoke with the young leaders. They asked him sincere questions and provided raw feedback.

¨I found the experience to be exactly the kind of interface that is often missing between law enforcement and the community,¨ stated Sgt. Schmautz.

Franklin also co-led the In Our Shoes Walking Lents Tour in Southeast Portland on Feb. 5. It's a project by Word is Bond, where young Black men are leading tours across Portland and Vancouver, inviting the community to get to know them and their neighborhoods each weekend of February. Franklin's achievements were acknowledged in an OPB story published May 3. On the tour, Franklin read his poem Picture Me Thriving.

“Picture me growing like no other, dreaming of big things," states Franklin's poem. " I have a path. I hope the road can handle me."

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