DURHAM
A section of Interstate 85 in Durham, N.C., will be named in honor of one of the nation’s most distinguished African-American historians, who spent his later years teaching at Duke University.
The John Hope Franklin Highway will be dedicated at a ceremony at the Hayti Heritage Center at 1 p.m. Monday, according to an article in the News & Observer
Members of Franklin’s family will unveil a highway sign that will designate a section of I-85 between Cole Mill Road and U.S. 70 Bypass. Among those expected to speak at the ceremony are Gov. Roy Cooper and Everett Ward, the president of St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, where Franklin taught for a few years starting in 1939.
Each March, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education presents the Dr. John Hope Franklin medal to noteworthy leaders. Past recipients include: U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Dr. David Levering Lewis, Marian Wright Edelman, and Dr. Gary Orfield.
