By Dr. Keita Franklin

The Humanity Cure

How Small Acts Can Change the World

Drawing on 25 years of leading change inside some of the country’s most complex systems, a leading public health expert makes the case that the answer has been with us all along — in the small, human acts we too often overlook.

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About The Author

Author & Speaker

About the Author

Dr. Keita Franklin is a public health leader, author, and speaker whose career has been devoted to one question: how do we build the conditions that help people, organizations, and systems reach their full potential?”

For more than 25 years — across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, academe, non-profit  and the private sector — she has worked at the intersection of suicide prevention, behavioral health, and systems change. Her debut nonfiction book, The Humanity Cure: How Small Acts Can Change the World, will be released in May 2026 by Manuscripts.

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Voices in the Book

After losing his son Ryan, a Navy SEAL, to suicide, Frank has dedicated his life to advancing understanding of traumatic brain injury and the invisible wounds of war. His insistence that “meaning does not erase the pain — it gives it direction” grounds the book’s exploration of purpose after loss.
Frank Larkin Retired Navy SEAL, former U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms, and father
Tina’s reflections on life as a Marine Corps spouse during 9/11, and on the small human acts that held families together in the months and years that followed, shape the book’s chapters on belonging, compassion, and community care.
Dr. Tina AtherallCEO of PsychArmor, military spouse, professor and social worker
A combat commander in Afghanistan and Iraq who later led one of the nation’s largest veteran-serving organizations, Mike brings decades of wisdom on leadership, trust, and what it means to show up for people under pressure.
Mike LinningtonRetired United States Army Lieutenant General; CEO of USO
A 24-year Army veteran who has mentored generations of social workers and public health leaders — including the author. His reflections on loss, service, and the everyday practice of resilience appear throughout the book.
Dr. Jim MartinRetired Army Colonel, social worker; Emeritus Professor at Bryn Mawr College
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Speaking Topics

The Humanity Cure: How Small Acts Change the World

Drawn from her forthcoming book, this keynote makes the case that the mental health crisis — loneliness, disconnection, suicide — will not be solved by systems alone. Using stories from her own career inside the DoD, the VA, and the field, Keita shows how the smallest human acts are often the most consequential interventions we have, and why the people closest to the problem are usually closer to the solution than the systems give them credit for. Ideal for: leadership audiences, healthcare conferences, veteran-serving organizations, corporate wellness events.

Suicide Prevention as Public Health: Where We Are and What Comes Next

A substantive, evidence-based talk on where suicide prevention stands today — drawn from Keita’s work leading national prevention efforts at DoD and VA and her current role co-directing the Columbia Lighthouse Project. Covers the shift from medical-model to public health approaches, what the data actually tells us, and what an effective strategy looks like for any organization serious about reducing suicide risk. Ideal for: healthcare systems, academic medical centers, public health conferences, state and federal policy convenings.
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