John Hope Franklin, Scholar, dies at 94

John Hope Franklin, a scholar of African-American history and an advocate on slavery issues, passed away on Wednesday, March 24 at the age of 94. Dr. Franklin died of congestive heart failure. Dr. Franklin was very involved with debates that helped shape America's racial identity. He worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall and other civil rights activist. Dr. Franklin's first book, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans" was published in 1947and sold over three million copies. Dr. Franklin taught at Harvard, University of Chicago and Duke. He worked with the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education case which outlawed the "separate but equal" doctrine. Dr. Franklin also participated in the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama with Dr. King. In 1995 he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by former President Bill Clinton. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest Civilian honor. Mr. Clinton also selected him to head the Advisory Board to the President's Initiative on Race in 1997.

Some of Dr. Franklin's accomplishments are: first African-American president of the American Historical Association, first black department chairman at a white institution (Brooklyn College), first black professor to hold a chair at Duke, first black chairman at the University of Chicago's history department and first African-American to present a paper at the Segragated Historical Association. Dr. Franklin received more than one hundred honorary degrees in his profession.

Dr. Franklin was born on January 2, 1915 in Oklahoma. He was forced with racism as a youth which prompted him to live his life dedicated to being an activist against racism. Dr. Franklin was a very influential man in our country in the fact he served his life dedicated to spreading his word on slavery and other very important issues.