John Hope Franklin

I heard that John Hope Franklin passed away. He was 94 years old.

John Hope wrote the book, no kidding, on African American history. Although he ended his academic days as a professor at Dook, he was a very incredible man. "Righteous" is a good word to describe him. I was privileged enough to work a couple of shows that UNC-TV did about him, Biographical Conversations With... John Hope Franklin and an episode of North Carolina Bookwatch. I know that he loved to grow orchids, and at the time of the interview he had plants older than I was. For all I know, they are still older than I am.

I was thinking about him today. I could say that that's eerie, but it's just that I was showing my students a film about the Jim Crow South (we're getting ready to read Black Boy), and I always think of him when I see anything relating to African American scholarship. Did I mention that he wrote the book? (It's called From Slavery to Freedom, by the way.) I did, however, think in particular that he must be getting pretty old by now.

Rest in peace, John Hope Franklin. You are a true inspiration and role model.