John Hope Franklin Discusses the Significance of the 1898 Wilmington Riots, Reparations for Discrimination, Memories of James Weldon Johnson; His Life and Work

In a videotaped address to the North Carolina NAACP meeting in Wilmington, NC, Duke University historian John Hope Franklin, 93, discusses the continued significance of the 1898 Wilmington riots or coup d'etat. (Videography by Jan Nichols of the North Carolina Justice Center; video editing by Jim Buie for the NC NAACP.) In the clip below,

Franklin discusses the issue of reparations for slavery, segregation and injustices such as those done in Wilmington.

In addition, Franklin recalled his personal encounters with James Weldon Johnson, author of the Negro national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," while he was a student at Fisk University. 

Franklin appeared on the Charlie Rose Show for a full hour in 2005.

Drill Deeper:

• Google Search: John Hope Franklin
• Audio Interview with Franklin on "The Story"
• Franklin's autobiography, "Mirror to America," at Amazon.com
• Google Search: James Weldon Johnson