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March 26, 2009

African American Scholar John Hope Franklin Dies at 94
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And the African American scholar and author John Hope Franklin has died.
Franklin pioneered the field of African American studies. His book From
Slavery to Freedom is considered a definitive work on the African
American experience. Franklin recently spoke about the significance of
President Obama’s ascent to the White House.

John Hope Franklin: “It’s amazing. It’s remarkable. And it’s an
indication of the willingness as well as the ability of this country to
turn a significant corner toward full political equality. I didn’t think
it would happen in my lifetime. My mother and I used to have a game we’d
play, ‘our public.’ She would say, ‘If anybody asks you what you want to
be when you grow up, tell them you want to be the first Negro president
of the United States.’ And just the words were so far-fetched, so
incredible, that we used to really have fun just saying it. I’m hesitant
to talk about the obstacles. They exist. And anyone who’s lived in the
United States ten minutes knows that they exist. The question is, does
he have the capacity and the resources to overcome them. And I believe
he does.”



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