Rev. C.L. Franklin Tribute Pt 1.

but before we explore this Young Generation we pause to pay tribute to one of the most prominent figures in Detroit's history his name Reverend clel Franklin he was a leader in religion civil rights and politics his musical Legacy spawned the career of his famous daughter artha Franklin the detroit-based minister was known nationally for his rousing and eloquent sermons his most famous the eagle stir at their nest describes God as an eagle challenging man to make man better Reverend Franklin's life of service answered that [Music] challenge she was one of the world's greatest preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ [Music] some of the members of his church that were very talented and saying they traveled with him as he went across the country preaching he was a great singer himself Pastor Franklin came up with Christians parents but he had to sort of work his way up and I think he knew the hard ship he he knew what he wanted for his people and he was willing to fight for [Applause] [Music] that he loved people but especially was he concerned about the L fortunate C Franklin gave you a chance I was speaking in this pool pit as a member father the king sta the four hour was of Dain and thma and Cecil and Caro and Thea We are [Music] family after years of splended service and 5 years of Silent suffering God called parents of L Franklin and he answered the high priest of Soul preaching affectionally called the rabbi the Learned one Frank was an institution all within himself he uh had the ability to preach himself out of in problem uh he was what they call a Hooper he had a hoop and it was a rhythm type speaking uh voice and uh he just just had the ability he was a great biblical historian he was an artist when he would give him a sermon you could you could see you could see the sermon you could see the people walking he was the one preacher that preachers went to hear preach and as a boy I was very inspired by him I know he inspired a lot of young men if they had it within them he helped to bring it out I believe that yeah cuz he was an idol of many of us I'll say see Franklin the most imitated Soul preacher in history a combination of soul and Science and substance and sweetness if you listen to the black preachers across the country um in the last 25 30 years uh most of them have a little C Franklin in them there was a little bit of Frank in all of us by the El for in our throats if we have that carot or in our hearts if you're possessed with the urge to preach he challenged the church to be relevant and I ask the Lord to give us this day our daily bread years ago when re Franklin came along people were all all Baptist folk were talking about dying they were talking about going to heaven and all that but re Franklin talked about life and he he was concerned about the sinner the man who was making the mistake and his constant um reminder was that that God would save those who had sinned who had made mistakes and there was a place for them we used to sometimes ask him after uh the church got to be very big and and very prominent across the country you know why didn't he move in a better location and uh he would say because the location that he was in was where he was needed most me the broadcast I wouldn't have missed many Sunday nights uh and you know that would be cry having a broadcast which you had for many years it was at a time when most of us was out of our church services and many many of us would go down there to be with him that CL he shared his brother Ministry before many would allow organ or Pi in their Church calling them instruments of s SE so the music industry I was quite young at the time but I had a chance to meet him as he did travel with groups gospel groups for not only did he help a lot of preachers but he helped a lot of singers it is out of this Moon and web that Frankin was SP she was on accident rather Pro the Providence the acorn is not fall far from the trueu Rea is a natural piano player also and which our mother was too and so I think the combination of my father and my mother produced artha to what she is today SE Franklin was born in 1915 for years after slavery and 60 years before we had the right to vote born in poverty probably could not stop him my father in his early life worked hard he struggled he had a very difficult uh childhood he told me that uh going back to the age of 14 I think it was that he was somewhat of an itinerate Minister then but also he worked on the farm at home and he left one Saturday night going somewhere in Mississippi to preach and arrived back to the farm about an hour hour and a half late that Monday morning to go in the field and his father asked him then to make the decision whether he was going to preach or whether he was going to plow and he said with a pair of overalls on one quarter in my pocket and one green suit I made the decision to preach and I turned around and walked away and from that day on the Lord made a way they met when my father went to preach at a church about 30 mil from his home and she was the organist so she was already into church related activities and uh he told me once that you know he just looked at her and that was it you know and I guess it was a mutual thing and and uh so they got married daddy was a father and a mother to us after our mother passed in 1952 as I think about it now it must have been you know very difficult for him because there were four of us and um we were not the world's most disciplined kids so he was constantly on us about something all that a father could be he was that's about all I can say everything that you would want from a father he was a man so much so that I uh I still feel that I get direction from him right now because I'm constantly remembering things that he said to me and things that he instilled in me I have a dream this afternoon that the Brotherhood of Man will become a reality in this day he was a guiding force in the historic civil rights movement in 1963 helped to lead the march on the TR which preceded the March on Washington the record shows him locked arms without the chain in that March and that was where Martin really gave the first speech of I have a dream Reverend Franklin spearheaded that and uh just like uh you get a brainstorming idea and he start calling people around on the phone they start responding it was just a happening it was the Talk of the Town and uh everybody was saying uh are you going to be at the March and everybody was answering yes you know everyone left church and went right to the Woodward Avenue and it was well organized there we all lined up in very side streets and as the line would come out you would just fall right in line from where you are as it continued uh and then speeches were held later on down in koball after the March and you listened to the speakers you you found out really what you were a part of

Channel: Marcel West

Views: 151,866

Keywords: Gospel, Preaching, CL, Franklin, Aretha, New, Bethel, Baptist, Church, Detroit, Chicago, Charles, Nicks, Jasper, Williams, Clay, Evans, Frank, Ray, Timothy, Flemming, Craig, Brothers, Cogic, Milton, Brunson, Maceo, Woods, Donald, Vails, Thomas, Whitfield

Id: rxXIjKgH8G4

Length: 10min 37sec (637 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 11 2009