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SAVANNAH, Ga. () – If history isn’t documented, it simply fades away.
That was almost the case for James Franklin’s story.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any details on his tenure as former chief of police for the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education — the first African American to hold that position.
But by all accounts, Franklin is a trailblazer who knows a lot about giving back.
“If the community is decent and good to you, give back to it by trying to help somebody.”
You could consider his life a master class in public service.
At 83 years young, he’s paved the way for others to follow, but his name is seemingly void of the recognition he deserves.
Born in Macon but raised in Savannah, Franklin says a traumatic experience during high school graduation changed the trajectory of his life.
“I graduated. Stopped at a little filling station in Cordele to pick up a monetary gift for being the fastest person in track in the state. And there were four little white fellas sitting around a potbelly stove. And I asked for the owner and they said he went to get a part. He’ll be right back,” Franklin recalled.
“So, I’m standing there by the door and one of the guys got up and reached in his pocket and put a .38 in my nose and cocked it and said, “What are you supposed to say?” I said, mama don’t drive. My daddy got two pistols. I know he had one in his pocket and one under the front seat. I said, ‘Lord, don’t let us all get killed here in Cordele.’” he continued. “And I said, ‘Tell mister thank you and we’ll be back.’ I got in the car. I said, let’s go home. So we went on back to Savannah. And that’s how I remember my graduation.
“And I guess from that incident, I just made up in my mind that I would help people.”
So, after finishing school, Franklin enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.
“They gave me a job,” he said. “A prison chaser, they called it. If they had anybody in lockup, it was my job to take them to breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
“But In the process of doing that, I learned a lot of investigative techniques,” Franklin continued. “So, when I got out of the service, it was just right there in front of me to still follow police work.”
In 1965, he joined the 165th Air National Guard. Five years later, he became an officer for the Chatham County Police Department — one of a few Black members of the force at that time.
He worked his way up the ranks to become an investigator in the DA’s office. He was later promoted to sergeant, then deputy assistant commander of the drug squad and, ultimately, lieutenant before retiring.
But it wasn’t long before he’d embark on a new journey.
At the urging of then interim Chatham County public schools superintendent, the late Dr. Gwendolyn Goodman, Franklin accepted the job as the chief of Campus Police and director of Security for the Board of Education, making history as the first Black person to hold that position.
He also played a big part in restructuring the agency.
“It wasn’t just about taking care of the police department, I was trying to help take care of the kids,” Franklin said.
“Everybody doesn’t need to go to jail. And all kids don’t need to be put in juvenile.”
In 1998, Franklin hung up his hat for a third time before becoming a school counselor in Ridgeland and then working as a loss prevention manager at a home improvement chain.
He later moved to the suburbs in Rincon where he decided to retire yet again to enjoy quality time at home with his wife. And then…
“The sheriff up here asked me if I would come work with them. I accepted the invitation.”
Today, you can find Franklin working as a blue coat at the Springfield Courthouse providing security at the entrance.
It’s just another stop in a career that he’s turned into a legacy of service.
“I hope the doors open for everybody to come in. But I enjoyed the trip,” Franklin said, “and that’s the best way for me to put it.”
Through his efforts, Franklin has opened the door for others to follow like retired Board of Education police chief Ulysses Bryant and current chief Terry Enoch.
It’s also important to note that Franklin was the first Black president of the Savannah chapter of the Lion’s Club whose motto coincidentally is “We serve.”
