Frank Matthews
Frank James Matthews III (born April 10, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio) is co-director of Birmingham's Office of Citizen Assistance, appointed by Mayor Larry Langford, and an evening radio talk-show host on WAGG AM 610.
Early life
Matthews became involved in drugs and criminal activities as a youth in Cleveland. As a teenager he became involved in "Teen Challenge", a Christian-based recovery program. He renounced the gang lifestyle and completed an associates degree in religion at the Cerullo School of Ministry in San Diego, California.
Matthews relocated to Birmingham to found Intercession Ministries, Inc., an anti-gang ministry. He was appointed by Mayor Richard Arrington to serve as a gang liaison to the city from 1992 to 1995, and continued to advise the city on gang matter through 2001. As a minister, Matthews became known as God's Gangster, creating and producing a series of videotaped interviews with celebrities called "In Your Face" in order to deliver an anti-gang message to school students.
Matthews has run unsuccessfully for Alabama State Legislature, District 58, for Birmingham City Council District 2, and for Mayor of Birmingham. He has attended most City Council meetings and numerous other events over the years and frequently speaks up as a community activist. In April 2007 he introduced a resolution calling for the city of Birmingham to formally apologize for slavery (a practice banished several years before the city was founded).
In the 2007 Birmingham mayoral election Matthews served on Larry Langford's campaign. He frequently criticized Langford's most notable opponent, Patrick Cooper on his "In Your Ear" radio show, which aired in the evenings on WAPI-AM. During his broadcasts he made use of racially-derogatory language to cast aspersions on Cooper. The name-calling was parodied by Birmingham News cartoonist Scott Stantis who was pilloried for using the same language in print.
It was initially reported at the time of Langford's inauguration that Matthews would succeed Don Lupo as the head of the Mayor's Office of Citizens Assistance. Reference to the new position was made on Matthew's radio show. However, Langford's chief of staff Deborah Vance said those reports were false. Instead he resigned from his radio show and was appointed Lupo's co-director. He helped organize Plan 10/30, a series of anti-crime rallies for African American residents at Fair Park Arena.
On March 31, 2008 Matthews returned to the air with an evening talk-show entitled "Feedback" on WATV-AM. In October he returned to WAGG-AM, where he began his radio career, and resurrected the title "In Your Ear" for the nightly program.
References
- Bryant, Joseph D. (November 19, 2007) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford retains more department heads from Bernard Kincaid's administration." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (March 27, 2008) "Frank Matthews to balance Birmingham City Hall job with return to talk radio." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (October 7, 2008) "Matthews show changes stations." Birmingham News
External links
- Matthews profile at WAPI-AM 1070