Senate hails Franklyn on day of his send-off
THE Senate on Friday paid tribute to the life and work of late former member Delano Franklyn during its weekly sitting.
A service of thanksgiving for Franklyn’s life was also held the same day at the University Chapel, Mona, St Andrew.
The former minister of state, attorney-at-law, and political activist, died of cancer of the blood on Friday, February 10, 2023. He was 63.
Both Opposition and Government senators spoke glowingly of Franklyn, who served the People’s National Party for almost all of his adult life.
Opposition Senator Lambert Brown shared that he misses his “brother” whom he had known and worked with from the 1970s, during his era of student activism
“Gone too soon, brother. Yellow, as we call you, in another place and another time. Nuff respect. You served the nation with dignity, with composure… gone too soon,” Brown said.
He noted that Jamaicans, and those far and wide, respected and recognised Franklyn’s service to humanity.
“We have lost a compassionate soul, one who cared for the people and who spent his entire life serving humanity,” he said.
“For those of us who sang with him in the trenches Forward March, we will miss you Delano; for those who sang The International with you, we will miss you Delano; and for those of us who sang Jamaica Arise, the song of the PNP, we will miss you Delano,” he added.
Brown said he was asked to express sympathy regarding Franklyn’s passing on behalf of former senators Norman Grant and Navel Clarke, as well as Senator Floyd Morris — who all served with him. He noted too that a long-time friend of Franklyn’s, King’s Counsel of Grenada Ruggles Ferguson, also sent his condolence.
In her reflection, Opposition Senator Donna Scott Mottley said she was most familiar with Franklyn as chairman of the Michael
Manley Foundation, with her as his deputy chair, “and I can tell you that whatever Delano does, he embraces with passion and he serves diligently”.
She noted that when Franklyn put together the anthology of the speeches of Michael Manley, and his budget presentations, he had a particular vision “that it could go a far way in helping to redefine and expand the boundaries that oftentimes limit the expansion of the playing field of social, political and economic governance.
“He wanted to ensure or play his part in seeing that more states can secure equality for their people. I think this was the foundation of everything that he did — how to move the people forward, how to educate the people, how to empower them, and how to create a just society,” she said.
Scott Mottley noted as well that as minister of state in the Ministry or Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for the Jamaican Diaspora, “Delano felt passionately that there had to be a stronger connection between Jamaica and the Diaspora,” noting that he was the first person to moot the possibility of having a senator who would represent the Diaspora.
For Government Senator Kavan Gayle, he said the Government pays tribute to “who I would consider to be a very distinguished gentleman, with a distinguished name — Delano Roosevelt Franklyn”.
Gayle said Franklyn served with distinction in the Senate and gave exemplary service in supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He also noted that as an author, Franklyn penned several books including We want Justice — Jamaica and the Caribbean Court of Justice; The Jamaican Diaspora — Building