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PLENARY SESSION

Well Done is Better than Well Said
Benjamin Franklin as a DEIA Model for Higher 
Education
Alexia Hudson-Ward, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries

ABSTR AC T: Heralding Benjamin Franklin as a model for diversity, 
equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) can be viewed as pecu-
liar as it sounds. Without question, Franklin’s personal and profes-
sional histories as a past slaveholder, alleged womanizer, and bully 
are problematic. Yet, the messiness of Franklin’s life with all of its 
inherent complications and his transformation into a champion for 
the oppressed makes him a ripe subject for ongoing study. More-
over, Franklin’s life example can help us formulate a roadmap for 
how we too can evolve and transform in our thinking, allyship, and 
approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

AN OVERVIEW OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S LIFE

Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, scientist, diplomat, writer, and 
publisher. Considered one of America’s founding fathers, Franklin 
was also a leader in the American Enlightenment movement. He is 
credited for inventing several items that remain in use in the 21st 
century, such as the lightning rod and bifocals. Born in Boston in 
January of 1706 (the actual birth date is disputed), Franklin moved 
to Philadelphia at age 17. He engineered career, creativity, and activ-
ism ambitions to crystalize a vision of a unified America to be shaped 
from the loosely connected colonies. 



12  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

Franklin rallied support domestically and internationally in 
support of America during the Revolutionary War. He published 
a series of newspapers and pamphlets that espoused principles 
of self-governing institutions, education, the value of community, 
and thriftiness. His imprints are on entities of broad impact. This 
impact includes the following: an appointment as the first Postmaster 
General of the United States Postal Service, creating the University 
of Pennsylvania (where he served as its first president), the Library 
Company of Philadelphia, and the American Philosophical Society 
(creating both entities and serving as the American Philosophical 
Society’s president). 

For all of his accomplishments, Franklin remains a problem-
atic historical figure. He enslaved Africans and made horrendous 
quotes of Black people such as “sullen, malicious, revengeful” and “by 
nature [thieves].” Franklin is alleged to have been a prolific bully. His 
relationship with his common-law wife of forty years (Deborah Read) 
was compromised by rumors of infidelity and a child conceived with 
another woman that he brought home for Deborah to raise. 

Despite his personality flaws and massive celebrity and wealth, 
Franklin did the unthinkable for white men of his era. He changed 
his opinion on the condition of enslaved Africans in America and 
became an abolitionist. Franklin worked to rally support for the 
education of free and enslaved Black people (Isaacson 2004; Brands 
2010).

FOREGROUNDING FRANKLIN’S QUOTE TO CREATE THE “FRANK-
LIN MODEL OF DEIA”

Benjamin Franklin was a man of many profound quotes, of which 
several have a timeless quality of applicability for the modern era. 
Among Franklin’s most-cited quotes is “Well done is better than well 
said.” (Franklin 1737). It is this quote that can foreground a Franklin-
centered DEIA framework within any organization.

A reliance on noble rhetoric and opaque organizational objec-
tives that fail to gain traction tends to be commonplace with DEIA 
initiatives. Too often, the research indicates that many individuals 
verbalize the will to engage in meaningful DEIA work (Leslie et al. 
2021) yet fail to operationalize DEIA efforts beyond celebrating (often 
dead) heroes and holidays (Gilbert 2016). The work of DEIA must not 
stop with verbal expressions. 



Plenary Session  13

While articulating the importance of DEIA within one’s workplace 
is central to its success, implementation and embedding sustain-
able practices matter more. However, producing meaningful DEIA-
related organizational practices requires solid strategic and tactical 
deployment, as there are more examples of failures than successes 
in operationalizing DEIA (Dobbin and Kalev 2016). Moreover, the 
emotional and cultural stakes are higher for DEIA more than ever 
before as the nation reckons with inequality and racial justice amid 
the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The enormity of the times can weigh heavily on leaders and 
those seeking to support organizational change. Consequently, many 
people seek role models or best practices that are relatable and tangi-
ble. In recognition of the role-modeling phenomena, the Franklin 
Model of DEIA is proposed to be leveraged within any organization. 
There are six insights from Franklin’s life that informed the Frank-
lin Model of DEIA – a model first presented at the 2021 Atla Annual 
conference. 

• Franklin’s problematic history with race, including being a 
slaveholder and later transforming into an abolitionist

• His role as a polymath
• Democratizing access to information
• Elevating the importance of global connections
• Commitment to the experimentation-to-insights-to-action cycle
• Creation of sustaining practices, processes, and entities
Outlining Franklin’s accomplishments in this fashion draws 

together the red thread of connectivity that spurred the creation of 
the Franklin Model of DEIA. Franklin demonstrated how one must 
not become paralyzed in guilt over past behaviors to the point that 
it disables actions and personal course correction. His broad inter-
est drew him to a series of simultaneous intellectual pursuits and 
heralded the need to undergo study before implementing any major 
initiatives. 

Franklin created multiple publications and mechanisms to distrib-
ute information and knowledge to the masses. His bridge-building 
relationship with France translated into resources in support of the 
nation during its first major war. Franklin believed in the power 
of experimentation and leveraging insights towards action. Lastly, 
he created scores of permanent organizations to carry forward his 
educational and community-building principles. 



14  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

CONCLUSION

Moving past noble rhetoric to advance DEIA initiatives requires 
introspection among everyone within an organization before shift-
ing into implementation mode. It is critical to note that the incremen-
tal pace of change in organizations is often slow and frustrating. To 
effect actual organizational change, white colleagues must acknowl-
edge past DEIA-related transgressions, share what was learned from 
those experiences, and demonstrate an openness to move forward. 
People of color must allow white colleagues to work through their 
cycle of self-actualization of potential DEIA-related shortcomings in 
their own time while also pressing them to move beyond introspec-
tion to action.

We are at a precipice moment in the world’s history with equality 
and social justice. We must quickly shift from task-saturation orienta-
tion to achievement orientation for DEIA initiatives. The hard work 
of DEIA begins with coming from a place of mutual understand-
ing that starts with honest dialogue. The Franklin Model of DEIA 
provides one framework to begin these critical conversations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brands, Henry William. 2010. The First American: The Life and Times 
of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Anchor.

Dobbin, Frank, and Alexandra Kalev. 2016. “Why Diversity 
Programs Fail.” Harvard Business Review 94, no. 7: 52-60.

Franklin, Benjamin. 1737. Poor Richard’s Almanack.
Gilbert, Julie. 2016. “Heroes and Holidays: The Status of Diversity 

Initiatives at Liberal Arts College Libraries.” College & Research 
Libraries 77, no. 4: 520-535.

Isaacson, Walter. 2004. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. New 
York: Simon & Schuster.

Leslie, Lisa Michelle, Elinor Flynn, Olivia Foster-Gimbel, and Colleen 
Flaherty Manchester. 2021. “Happy Talk: Is Common Diversity 
Rhetoric Effective Diversity Rhetoric?” In Academy of Manage-
ment Proceedings, vol. 2021, no. 1, p. 10174. Academy of Manage-
ment.


