John Hope FranklinToday, at the Duke University Hospital, John Hope Franklin died of congestive heart failure. He was 94. A highly revered and accomplished historian, Franklin literally helped create the field of African American history. He wrote what is considered by many to be the seminal book on the black experience in America, From Slavery to Freedom (1947). He worked on the Brown v. Board of Education case (1954). He lead President Clinton’s Initiative on Race (1997).

The United States, and indeed the world, is a better place because of the life and work of John Hope Franklin.

I would like to specifically invite my white friends and colleagues who don’t know much about Franklin to spend some time at this Duke University website. Your life will be enriched as a result.