Pag» 4 Portland Observar August 7, 1980
ENTERTAINMENT
LEN FRANKLIN
il
M a k in g it h a p p e n
(E d ito r's N o te: Len Franklin,
Manager/co-owner o f "The House
o f Sound, ” located at 3606 N.
Williams Avenue, is a very candid,
sincere, sensitive and aspiring Black
man. In an interview with Nyewusi
Askari, o f the Observer, he talks
about the Black community, some
aspects o f his career and Black
children.)
Q.
H o w /w h e n did you
become Interested in the record
business?
A. I got started in the record
business at the age o f 18, at Jeffer
son High School. When I was about
to graduate in the year o f 71, Jeffer
son got a radio station. Reggie
Harris was student body President
at Jefferson at the time, and since
we were very good friends, we
worked very close in the develop
ment o f the station. We had music
piped into the cafeteria. It was here
that I established my roots.
Q. H o w In v o lv e d w e re you
w ith the stetlon?
A. Before I get into that, let me
give you some brief background of
the station. The radio station came
into being after the people at Jeffer
son went out and bought some
broadcasting equipm ent. A fte r
three m onths, they bought TV
equipm ent. Thus, after solving
some o l the basic equipment
problem s, I got my own sports
program on the TV program. Every
m orning around 8:30, we had a
home room, so after 15 minutes I
had about a 5 minute show. I inter
viewed people like Woodrow Green
and many o f the local sports figures.
We talked about what they were
good at outside o f sports, what they
weren't good at, and that’ s where
and how I got started.
Q. Were you Involved In any
phase of music at Jeff?
A. No, except I was Drum Major
in my last year. I marched up and
down the street at the Rose Festival
and that was one o f the things I was
really good at. Thara Memory, (one
o f the brother’ s who really hot in
Jazz right now) had his own o r
chestra, and he took time out to
teach me all the different steps of
being a good Drum M a jo r. We
received a lot o f recognition in the
City of Portland.
Q.
W h a t C o lla g e did you
attend and w h at did you major
In?
A. I went to San Francisco State
and majored in Communications. 1
graduated from there with a degree
in Communications. But before 1
went to California to go to college, I
aliened PCC (Sylvlania). They had
a good communication's program
and an excellent radio program.
Q. W hat type of activities In
radio w e re you in v o lve d in at
PCC?
o f Male image I project to Black
Will support Black businesses i f
kids, so, I spend a lo t o f tim e
Black businesses support the com
w orking w ith Black children
m unity. This is why I try to be
whenever I can. For example, right
visible in the com m unity, always
now there is a young Black I ’ m trying to help out when and where I
working with. He is trying to get a can. As Black businessmen, we can
jo b at KEX ra dio, in sales and
not expect the community to sup
broadcasting. He put me down as a port us, i f we are merely going to
reference, stating that I got him
announce that we are here, yet
started in the business. I work with
refuse to go out into the community
many young people who are trying
and contribute to its’ growth. Its
to get into communications or who very im portant that the Black
are tryin g to learn about com
businessmen o f this com m unity,
munications. I try to show them the develop a positive working relation
things that others won’ t show them.
ship with the community, for it is
There are many people with skills
through the community that we will
who refuse to sit down with our either survive or perish.
young and show them the ropes, the
“ Len Franklin feels very good
in ’s and outs o f the game. Not just
about life, feels very good about
the record business, but business
being a Black man, and feels very
that fa ll in to the line o f com good about the future o f the com
m unications. I f you d o n ’ t com
m unity. Len F ranklin is a Black
municate with everyone, you can’ t
man first, and its important to me
communicate with anyone.
that I work very hard to develop my
“ I am basically a doer. M y
Blackness, which means I must
philosophy is, 'D o n ’ t do as I say do,
work to develop my mind. This is
but do as I do.” I f I am able to show
what I try to communicate to young
the young, through doing, how to people. Develop your mind, and in
get a loot hold, then it eliminates a doing so you w ill develop your
lot of conversation or empty talk. I Blackness. I believe that culture is
am striving very hard to be a good very important to the development
role model for young brothers. We o f the young mind, but if the young
need positive Black male role mind is receiving bogus in fo r
models in the City o f Portland. As mation, then it is subject to go into a
Len Franklin the Black man, I per phase I call, non-development.”
sonally believe the Black community
Q. W h a t has bean the c o m
needs more Black men involved with
m u n it y « resp o n se to y o u ,
the everyday business o f the Black
during these last fou r years at
community.
The House of Sound?
“ P o litic a lly , I see the Black
community moving in many positive
A. G reat! I enjoy the com
directions. To fight fo r “ Q uality
munity, I enjoy working with Black
Education” for our children is the
people. I was raised in this neigh
best thing that could have hap
borhood right around the cornor o f
pened. This fight is broad and far
Failing and Cleveland, so this com
reaching. The Black community is
munity has been my roots. I enjoy
not only fighting fo r the Q uality
dealing w ith the young kids and
Education o f Black children, but
helping with different community
Q uality Education fo r all o f the
functions like churches. A month or
children trapped in the vacuum
so ago, I did a function with Mt.
created by those incapable o f
Calvary and we put on the first
developing educational programs
fashion show to be presented in a
important to the positive develop church. The community is the foun
ment o f our children.
dation
of
my
in sp ira tio n ,
“ As a Black man operating a m o tiva tio n
and
goal-setting.
Black business in the Black com Without the community I wouldn’t
m u nity, I feel very good. Black
be Len Franklin Black man. And
people o f this community ha\e sup thats the bottom line.
ported “ The House o f S ound.”
Black people, white people, all
kinds o f people come and spend
their money with us, and that’s im-
Interested in c u rre n t books
their money with us, and that’ s im
a b o u t A fric a n L ib era tion ?
portant. It speaks to the positive
Visit:
nature of what I am trying to do. It
JO H N REED BOOKSTORE
speaks to the type o f atmosphere
In the Dekum Building
people find when they come here,
519 S.W. 3rd Avenue
even if its just to look around. The
Sixth Floor
House o f Sound is the peoples place
and I ’ m trying very hard to keep it
Or call 227 2902
that way.
“ The people o f this community
A.
I was a disc jockey at
Sylvania. I worked w ith H arold
Johnson, who use to w ork at
Channel 12. Harold was my idol at
the time. He was doing news repor
ting and I always wanted to be like
him.
Q. Lets sw itch up a bit. Tell me
a b o u t Len F ra n k lin , B lack
m a n ...s o m e o f his p erso n al
philosophy, w h o is he and w h at
he is trying to accomplish.
Zi
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POKER TOURNAMENT
G Com munity Benefit
A. First o f all, I am very op
timistic about the future o f Black
people in Portland. I am a believer
in Black people’s ability to survive
against the odds. As a Black man, I
am very concerned about the kind
SMOKEY
ROBINSON
A m e ric a n S tate Bank
1st, 2 n d , 3 rd p l a c e w i n n e r s in e a c h
d iv is io n w ill r e c e i v e a h a n d s o m e t r o p h y
in a d d i t i o n to t h e i r c a s h w i n n i n g s .
P roceed s g o to:
V ancouver U.S.A. O p en Air Market
H istoric South M ain Im p rovem ent Project
D ow ntow n Bus-Rider B en ch es