Mayor Shirley Franklin
Atlanta Mayoral Inauguration
January 7, 2002
Governor Barnes, Ambassador Young, Mayor Massell, Mayor Jackson, Mayor Campbell, City Council President Woolard, Council Members, distinguished guests, family, friends, my fellow Atlantans:
As I stand here today having taken the most solemn of oaths Before God and my fellow citizens I am humbled by the confidence You have bestowed in me. I am honored by the responsibility
You have entrusted with me, and I am energized by the opportunity You have given to me.
It is an honor because I stand on the shoulders of all of the great leaders that this city has produced.
But it is also an honor because I proudly represent all of the women who have toiled in the fields, worked in the kitchens, fought for our rights and challenged our society to ensure a better life for all of our families.
Today, we embark on a new, bold and daring journey for this state. This is the first time that a woman has been sworn in to serve as mayor of Atlanta. But Atlanta has always been a bold innovative city. A city ahead of its time; a city not afraid to set the pace because we have been blessed with progressive leadership.
Leaders like William Hartsfield, who during 23 years of service, built an airport that made us the regional center of the country.
Leaders like Ivan Allen and Sam Massell, helped us transform from a sedate city into a national city, bringing major sports franchises, building MARTA and establishing Atlanta as a model for economic prosperity.
Leaders like Maynard Jackson, who built the world's busiest airport, broke down barriers of discrimination, making Atlanta a model of inclusion that has been imitated all over the world.
Leaders like Andrew Young, who brought the world to Atlanta, delivered the Centennial Olympics Games, and catapulted us into international prominence.
Under Bill Campbell's Administration, we've seen record levels of investment in every quadrant of the city, and a bridging of the digital divide
This record of progress would have been unattainable without the leadership of great women like State Representative Grace Hamilton, Councilwoman Barbara Asher, Domestic Union Leader Dorothy Bolton, and the woman who swore me in today, Justice Leah Sears.
These men and women paved the way for my election because they encouraged us to expand the boundaries of what we think is possible.
And here we stand on the brink of a whole new era of leadership, And I am proud to lead the way.
The confidence you have placed in me reaffirms my vision for Atlanta. It is quite simple. A safer, cleaner city, a more responsive and effective government, a better city for seniors, children and working families, and an open and honest City Hall.
I envision an Atlanta as a city with clean air and clean water, Beautiful parks and a vibrant arts community, where people care about their neighbors, where elderly have adequate housing, where children are assured of a quality education and healthcare, where corporations provide fair and stable employment, and lead the way in facilitating economic development, where religious leaders teach us how to live harmoniously with dignity and respect for all ethnic groups, races and cultures.
I see an Atlanta that socializes without discriminating, prospers without coveting, gives without expecting, loves without judging, and prays without ceasing.
I envision this because throughout my life I have found inspiration in the lives of remarkable women.
Mary McCloud Bethune, who grew up working in the cotton fields, went on the become a great educator and advisor to Presidents. From Ms. Bethune, I learned determination.
Madame CJ Walker, orphaned at seven years old, created a hair care and cosmetics business, and became America's first self-made woman millionaire. From the Madame, I learned strength
Harriet Tubman, the leader of the Underground Railroad, who escaped from slavery, became a free woman, and returned to the south to free hundreds of other slaves. From Harriet, I learned courage.
So, to meet the challenges we face today we need determination, strength, and courage.
We have a new set of challenges in this ever-changing world -the events of September 11, the current state of the economy, and Atlanta's New Diversity.
Atlanta is not the same city as when I moved here 30 years ago -our population is more Latino, more aged, more gay and more Asian.
In the Franklin Administration, we will embrace this new diversity in true Atlanta fashion.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: "There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society that feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it."
Although we face some serious challenges, I am extremely optimistic about our future. I will call upon the values that my mother and father taught me - hard work and an uncompromising sense of integrity.
I want to thank my mother, Ruth White. She's here today with my three children, Kali, Kai and Cabral.
My mother was a schoolteacher for much of her life, and her example was why I felt drawn back to the classroom when I first left college.
My mother taught me the most valuable lessons I ever learned. She taught me that pride, while not virtuous itself, is the parent of may virtues.
Chief among them are honor, accountability and accomplishment through hard work. She expected me to work hard and held me accountable to the highest standards as I grew up. I believe each and every one of you should expect no less of me today.
I want to see Atlanta as a shining example of livable, loveable and workable community.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of dreams" working together we can make our dreams a reality.
I love you Atlanta. And I want you to help me make this a better place.
Thank you, and God Bless you.