"A HERO IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ALS": Rev. Franklyn V. Beckles, Jr.

"A HERO IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ALS"
By: Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles, Jr.


 One of the greatest men I have ever known, is my father Professor Franklyn Victor Beckles, Sr. Born in Trinidad & Tobago in 1948. Mr. Beckles achieved what very few Black Immigrants ever accomplished. And that was to become a successful and educated businessman. In 1987, he was the first African American to become a College Professor and Dean of Education in the Computer Science Department at Aiken Technical College. He also was the first to establish the first all-black private school in Aiken, South Carolina, where racism is very intense and the fight against racial injustice has never abated. In 1991, he renamed the school “Aiken Academy”. Through his prestigious Christian School, Mr. Beckles enrolled hundreds of misfortunate kids who dropped out of school, or were kicked out, and neglected by the public school system of South Carolina and Georgia. Despite racist, feminist and politically corrupt governmental system of discrimination in America and particularly in the state of South Carolina. Professor Beckles became a civil rights pioneer; educating abandoned children from all backgrounds and circumstances, assisting needy children, and helping them to earn high school diplomas and college credits through his accredited Christian Private School. Nevertheless, Aiken County and Richmond County School Systems continued to fail African American students and forcing them to withdraw from public school due to administrative incompetence. Professor Beckles accomplished what most public schools and junior colleges failed to do, and that was to provide quality education for minority and disabled kids and aide them into getting prominent jobs, careers, service in the U.S. Armed Forces, and acceptance into prestigious universities all over the country! For 27 years, my father has successfully graduated over 65,000 students with high school diplomas and certificates from Aiken Academy (students that society gave up on), and assisted these deserving students to become productive citizens. My father is an inspiring true hero, who recently became diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). A nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. Despite all odds, Professor Beckles refuses to give into this deadly illness and retire from teaching and mentoring kids. Instead he continues to fight for survival and manage his renowned private school from a hospital bed! With the help of me and my mother; Samella Beckles, a good wife who faithfully cares for husband despite incompetent medical treatment due to an influx of lousy medical doctors, hospitals, and attorneys in the notoriously racist and corrupt Central Savannah River Area. Nevertheless, Mr. Beckles never gives up, and my family and I don’t either! That is why his story needs to be heard. My father had risked his life and career as a College Professor to mentor and teach underprivileged kids, helping them when society gave up on them. He is a loving husband to my mother, who also dedicated her life to helping others in need as a registered nurse for over 30 years! An ordained minister, community leader, and honorary PhD. recipient, Rev. Dr. Franklyn Victor Beckles, Sr., the father of 3 children, has always utilized family and faith in God to motivate himself and others to fight social injustice, advocate for civil rights, and strive to accomplish their dreams. Today, I continue to honor my father and his legacy, by becoming a respected Community Leader, Political Candidate for the Board of Education, being a good husband and father to my five children, and carrying on the heritage of Aiken Academy as its new Headmaster. With the blessing of my father, resumed his duties to educate neglected students from the Richmond County Public School System. I relocated his legendary private school to Augusta GA., and renamed it the: Beckles Christian Academy, in his honor. As an ordained Church Pastor with a PhD. in Theology. I have continued to incorporate Christian and Bible based values and education to the private school system to minister to and help underprivileged children, and I also established an accredited Home School Educational Program to graduate mistreated minority and disabled children who were neglected by the scandalous and corrupted Richmond County Board of Education -(Note: the groundbreaking biographical eBook by Nathan Van Sertima -“Dr. Beckles vs. The Richmond County Board of Education”, based on true events, featured on Amazon.com). Now I am also an accomplished Book Author, Historian, Modern Civil Rights Pioneer, Firefighter, and a Triathlete who competes in local marathons to help Georgia Regents University’s ALS Department raise money for medical research in finding a cure to eradicate Lou Gehrig’s disease. You, the reader can also help fight against ALS and bring awareness to this vicious disease which kills more than 5,600 people each year! Please donate to a credible and licensed medical association that is dedicated to using its funds to finding a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Something needs to be done, they are numerous dreadful diseases that are killing Americans, yet our nation’s leaders are spending more money and resources on products that will kill us, rather than save American lives and improve our Healthcare System! Despite this wicked world that we live in, I will continue to do my part as a true Christian. By helping people in need like my father, and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, with honor and integrity like Rev. Franklyn V. Beckles, Sr. His proud legacy will endure forever!

 (2014-Present): Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles, Jr., is currently a successful published book author!!!





Unsung Black History Pioneer: Professor Franklyn V. Beckles, Sr.

Unsung Black History Pioneer: Professor Franklyn V. Beckles, Sr., was the first African American to start & develop the Computer Science Department at Aiken Technical College, and lobbied to have the racist College Administration to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday!! From 1989-2014, he managed and directed the first African-American Private School in Aiken County, South Carolina, educating hundreds of black men and women of all ages, to become productive citizens in The South. My father and I didn’t like the direction America is going in regards to many things that compromise moral values, but our biggest concern was how often the Public School System in this country keeps failing our youth. Especially when it comes to African American male students. American public schools keep lagging in quality education for all students, and it’s not going to improve unless we all work together to do something about it. For 27 years that’s exactly what my father and I have been doing, to improve the crisis with embattled & poorly managed public schools in our community. Back in 1988, my father had a vision to help all children despite discrimination, who were mistreated or neglected by the Aiken County and Augusta Public School Systems. Together my father and I opened an accredited private school, to properly educate kids who were unfairly expelled or forced to drop out of school by incompetent teachers and administrators. My father started “Aiken Academy”, and enrolled many children from all over South Carolina and Georgia! My father (an ordained minister) was eventually able to successfully educate thousands of students looking for private school education, to rectify the problems they had with public school education. Soon students came to him for help from across the country! Aiken Academy aided students in earning high school diplomas, college credits for prestigious universities, employment opportunities, and U.S. Military enlistment. After graduating from college, I became the Vice President at Aiken Academy and carried on my father’s work whenever he was overseas on Outreach Missionary Trips for Christian Education. During which; I developed important skills as an educator, that I would later use in establishing my own private school in Augusta, Georgia. I had a fierce pride for my father, and for what he accomplished in helping thousands of high school drop-out students through his respectable private school. My father’s work inspired me to carry on his legacy in many ways, including becoming a notable civil rights leader, renowned Christian minister, and community activist advocating against bullying, child abuse and racism in local public schools in Richmond County. I started “The Children’s Christian Center” in 2009, and with the support of my wife and children, this private school continued helping children of all ages who were victimized by the Richmond County School System, and Board of Education for years. I also became more active as a Community Leader and Volunteer Firefighter for various Fire Departments, and ran for political office as District 2 Board Member for the Richmond County Board of Education. My love for helping people as an ordained minister, allowed me to incorporate Christianity into private education (which is usually not allowed in public schools), and I taught Biblical studies along with our secular class subjects. Helping people and saving lives has always been a Beckles Family tradition; from ancient times unto my generation, I’m proud of the fact that my family’s history always involved working in: Christian Ministry, Education, and Military Service, Law Enforcement and Healthcare fields to support our communities and help our country become a better place to live! My prayers are that my children one day continue to serve God, carry on the Beckles family tradition, and help others in need. Watching my father dedicate his life to assisting people in need was my “wake up” call for me to honor God by doing the same thing. Neither one of us could have accomplished it alone, without the love and support of God Almighty and our families. My wife and kids are still my greatest inspiration to persevere through the struggles of being an unsung hero like my father. Doing the right thing is the only way that I choose to live by. America desperately needs to WAKE UP, and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! Fortunately, my son Christian Beckles helps stay encouraged by being a hero himself. When he was bullied and victimized at Copeland Elementary School (in Augusta, GA.) at the age of 11, my wife and I enrolled him into our private school. Despite all odds, he has excelled as a student, and assisted me during my political career to become a Board of Education Member. Now, Christian is a Christian youth minister and is writing & publishing children’s books. My father’s legacy in Education continues to live on in his grandchildren, and inspires people like me today. A new private school will be opened in his honor, and named the “Franklyn Beckles Computer Learning Academy”! This Christian Private School will comprise of: Computer Learning Skills, Computer Gaming, affordable Daycare, Biblical Study Program, Youth Ministry, a small historical museum and library dedicated to honoring unsung African American male heroes like my father who made an impact on Black History in South Carolina!


-Written By Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles, Jr.

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