john hope franklin

Cross-posted at Facing South

At today's memorial for John Hope Franklin at Duke University, playwright Emily Mann -- daughter of historian Arthur Mann, a close friend of Franklin's -- related one of many illuminating personal stories about the pioneering historian and scholar. In a conversation about the North Carolina political landscape, someone asked Franklin "Where did Jesse Helms come from?" Franklin quickly replied, "From hell" -- "not missing a beat," Mann said.

My friend John Hope Franklin died this morning at the age of 94. He was many things -- a great historian, a great scholar, a great activist, and a great North Carolinian, to name a few. I could spend a day blogging about John Hope's life (I lack the stature to provide a fitting eulogy), but I think it is more fitting to use his own words to describe this great man:

"I want to be out there on the firing line, helping, directing or doing something to try to make this a better world, a better place to live."

Those are inspirational words, the kind of words that we should all hope to live by.

His biography and memorial website, both courtesy of Duke University.