John Hope Franklin

John Hope Franklin (January 2, 1915–March 25, 2009) was James B. Duke Professor Emeritus at Duke University, and was for seven years Professor of Legal History at Duke University Law School. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the National Endowment for the Humanities Charles Frankel Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to him by President Clinton. He is the author of many books on African-American history, including The Color Line: Legacy for the Twenty-first Century (1993) and Race and History (1989). His pioneering textbook, From Slavery to Freedom, has been the foundation work of African-American history for over 60 years.