Franklin Thomas has an uncommon ability to bring people together and help them overcome historical antagonisms and forge a new future together, as he did when he brought together South African government officials and the African National Congress, years before Mandela was released from prison.

Franklin Thomas heads the TFF Study Group, which focuses primarily on assisting the development process in Southern Africa. He was president of the Ford Foundation from 1979-1996. Before joining Ford, Mr. Thomas was the first president of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. He served as Deputy Police Commissioner in Charge of Legal Matters for the New York City Police Department and Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Thomas serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards and is an advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations.

quoted from the United Way of New York City website. (September 11th Fund)

Bringing Franklin Thomas to the White House would do much to change our sense of possibilities. We do need to expand our sense of possibilities.

One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.

Franklin Thomas, quoted by www.brainyquote.com

Walter Cronkite has also demonstrated his ability to bring antagonists together to make peace, although this example reminds us that there is much left to do.

Electors to the President

John Champagne

© 1996, 2007 John Champagne gaia.brain (at) gmail.com

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