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Anita Franklin
Anita Franklin (1962-2020) was a gun safety activist in Lexington, Kentucky. Franklin was born on September 14,1962 in Lexington and was a graduate of Bryan Station High School. Franklin had three children and her second child, Antonio Franklin, was shot and killed at a local park in 2014 when he was 21 years old. Following her son's death, Franklin spoke publicly against gun violence, organized marches, and worked alongside the activist group Mom's Demand Action Kentucky. Franklin was also a member of the "Survivors Council" which advises and assists the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General on matters related to victims of crime. Additionally, Franklin was a member of the advisory board for the Charles Young Center, a nonprofit youth organization located in the urban area of Lexington, Kentucky. In 2019, Franklin delivered a letter signed by 1,200 people across the country to Senator Mitch McConnell's office in Louisville, Kentucky urging the Senate to take up and pass background checks for all gun sales and a strong "red flag" law. While at McConnell's office, Franklin met a CNN staff member who allowed her to appear on a CNN broadcast, drawing national attention to the work Franklin was doing to stop gun violence. Franklin passed away unexpectedly on February 24, 2020 at the age of 57 and her family reports that she died from natural causes. Franklin's surviving children, Ricardo Franklin and Laneshia Conner, plan to continue their mother's legacy of activism and gun safety.