Grammy-Award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin will be making an appearance at Norfolk State University next week for their Courageous Conversation: Black Fatherhood in America event. Franklin will be providing his unique insight into the world of what it’s like to be a Black father in America.

Kirk Franklin has had a successful career as a gospel artist for over 30 years. He is often credited with creating a new genre of music when he began incorporating R&B and hip-hop sounds into traditional gospel music. Throughout the years he formed and worked with many successful gospel groups including Kirk Franklin & The Family, Gods’s Property, One Nation Crew, and Maverick City Music.

As a solo artist and producer Franklin has worked with many artists in both the gospel and r&b/hip-hop genres including Whitney Houston, Shirley Caesar, Mary J. Blige, Yolanda Adam, Boy II Men, Rance Allen, Lil Baby, and David and Tamela Mann. Franklin is one of the most awarded gospel artists in the music industry. He has 20 Grammy Awards, 23 Dove Awards, 23 Stellar Awards, as well as awards from the American Music, Urban Music, and Soul Train Awards. Some of Franklin’s greatest hits include Melodies from Heaven, Lean on Me, Revolution, Stomp, I Smile, Imagine Me, and Now Behold the Lamb and many more.

In addition to being a pioneer in gospel music, Franklin is also a huge advocate for social change. He uses his music to motivate big discussions to incite change.

“Gospel is medicine for hearts and souls that are often malnourished in a society that… the climate is so negative, is so divisive, said Franklin.”

In the upcoming Courageous Conversation event being held at Norfolk State Franklin will discuss the challenges and importance of being a Black father. Franklin has four children. In an interview with KCRW, Franklin stated that he always tries to be there for his children as much as possible even while on tour.

“I never wanted them to feel the pain that I felt not having a daddy. So, if I'm on tour, every off-day I’m flying home to a soccer game. We've been homeschooling the kids for quite a few years because I was so busy. They were … taking classes in South Africa, taking classes in Finland, taking classes in London. … I hired a full-time tutor just to travel with us because I wanted them to be with me all the time.”

In 2023, Franklin met his biological father for the first time at age 53. While working on his 13th album he hired a videographer to capture behind-the-scenes content of making the project. At the time of filming the cameras ended up catching the emotional journey Franklin went on after he learned who his biological father was.

Franklin once believed that his biological father had died in recent years but to his surprise, his father, Richard Hubbard, was very much alive and lived in the same neighborhood he grew up in all of his life.

While filming Father’s Day: A Kirk Franklin Story, Franklin used the opportunity to reconcile with his oldest son Kerrion, whom he hadn’t seen in over a decade. In March 2021, Kerrion released an audio recording of a private conversation between him and Franklin. Both men could be heard screaming and using profanities towards one another. Following the incident Franklin immediately apologized to his fans and followers.

Courageous Conversation: Black Fatherhood in America will take place Thursday, April 11, 2024, in the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center at Norfolk State University.