UCLA Public Affairs Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.

He Dreams of Meeting Prince … and Eating Risotto for Breakfast

Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. is dean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; his research focuses on strategic communications, public policy, electoral politics, and racial and ethnic politics. Before participating in a panel on why Angelenos won’t vote, he talked about why he’d love to meet Prince, how his thought process is a lot like rap music, and the hard work of maintaining all his vices in the Zócalo green room.

Q:

Who or what do you root for?


A:

I root for excellence in anything—in food, music, art, scholarship, advocacy. Last night, we [the Luskin School of Public Affairs] had an event with Marian Wright Edelman [president of the Children’s Defense Fund]. There were some young people there who are in re-entry programs. I was rooting for them. They’re trying to put their lives back together, and it’s an uphill struggle.


Q:

What word or phrase do you use most often?


A:

Janky.


Q:

What do you eat for breakfast?


A:

A banana and, if I get real lucky, I’ll stop at the café on 19th Street for an organic peanut butter bar. It gets me to my office. But it’s not what I want. I want risotto carbonara—risotto with bacon and peas and a fried egg on top—from the Blu Jam Café.


Q:

What’s the last habit you tried to kick?


A:

I maintain all my vices. I’ve never consciously tried to kick anything—except maybe overeating. Not smoking cigars. A lot people would be happy if I did. I haven’t thought about quitting seriously. My family thinks about it seriously.


Q:

What’s hanging on your walls?


A:

Art from Cuba. We got this piece in Havana a few years ago. It’s in the dining room. It’s of a person—with bold, dynamic colors.


Q:

What keeps you up at night?


A:

Nothing actually keeps me up at night. Things worry me when I wake up! We’re always trying to make the school better, to think of creative ways to do more with less, to find more resources.


Q:

What’s the last election you didn’t vote in?


A:

Well I didn’t vote in the last mayoral election because I can’t: I live in an unincorporated area of L.A. County. I didn’t vote on Tuesday for a special election of my assembly district—it was a foregone conclusion. Of course there’s the “minimax regret model”: You have maximum regret if your preferred candidate loses by a minimum of one vote.


Q:

Where do you come up with your best ideas?


A:

In the shower. Routinely, daily. My staff knows they’ll get a call pretty soon after I get out. Not that the ideas are any good, but I have them. It’s a lot like rap music: 95 percent are awful and 5 percent are good.


Q:

What’s your favorite (somewhat) hidden spot in Los Angeles?


A:

There’s place called Orleans & York, which is a relatively new Louisiana/New Orleans-style deli with po’boy sandwiches. It’s in Windsor Hill. I order the shrimp traditional … but not often. It’s not good for me.


Q:

Who is the one person living or dead that you’ve love to have dinner with?


A:

Prince. He’s a genius. I’m interested in his creative process and how he works.