Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The Kirk Franklin episode of “Masters of the Game” was one of the most challenging interviews I’ve ever done for this show because the man I was talking to was in such deep spiritual turmoil. Usually on “Masters of the Game,” we go through a person’s entire life journey, but Franklin, the dominant figure in contemporary gospel music, is currently at a major crossroads. We couldn’t go through his whole life because there’s so much to unpack about his life right now. Do you know what Franklin has been going through? It’s a crazy moment in his life.
When Franklin was a baby, he was given up for adoption. His birth mother lived nearby and came to see him from time to time, so he always knew who she was but he never knew his father. A recent documentary about Franklin called “Father’s Day” covers how Franklin discovered who his father was. Apparently, there was a funeral that brought together some of the family and some folks in the town. At the funeral, a man noted that he had been with Franklin’s mother in the period before Franklin was born. One thing led to another and that man gave Franklin a bit of his DNA. Franklin had it tested. It showed that there was a 99% chance that this man was Franklin’s biological father. But one important person remained unconvinced.
Franklin went to see his mother to discuss. At that point, he had not spoken to his mother in over two decades, but he had to break the silence because he had to know the truth. His mother said no, that man is not your father. Franklin was confused. He went to another doctor and got more tests. They came back 99% positive that this man was his father. He went back…
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