Mayor Kathy Taylor led a delegation of Tulsans to Duke University to pay tribute to Dr. John Hope Franklin’s life and legacy.

“He was a man full of hope and his vision for the future was unclouded by the darkness he experienced in his past,” said Taylor. “He envisioned a world that embraced civility and valued respect for everyone, regardless of race or culture.”

Efforts are underway to create the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation in the Greenwood area of Tulsa. The Mayor joined Dr. Franklin this past November in breaking ground on Phase I of the project which will include a park and tribute to his efforts of bringing people together. Construction on the park will be underway this summer, with completion slated for early 2010.

“Dr. Franklin was a proud Tulsan,” said Taylor. “He often referred to me as his mayor. And he taught this mayor to keep focusing on finding positive solutions for the future, one step at a time. His life reinforced just how much could be accomplished by taking the simple first step of treating each other with civility and respect.”

The memorial service included noted speakers from around the nation, including President Bill Clinton. Taylor led a Tulsa delegation that included members of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation board of directors: Reuban Gant, Lee Johns, Dwain Midget, Sheryl Lovelady and Monica Basu. Also attending were City Councilor Jack Henderson and Monroe Nichols.

The man who would become the nation’s most noted scholar on the African American experience graduated as valedictorian of his senior class at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. State law would not allow Dr. Franklin to attend the University of Oklahoma because of his race, so Franklin traveled to Tennessee to attend Fisk University in Nashville. He later earned masters and doctoral degrees from Harvard University.  During his lifetime, Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Honor, published 18 books and received more than 130 honorary degrees.

Click here for more information about Dr. Franklin on the Duke University website.