April 5: Dialogue with Henry Louis Gates and John Hope Franklin

Two of America's great academics, Henry Louis Gates and John Hope Franklin, speak at Butler as part of the Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series

When: Thursday, April 5 7:30 PM
Where: Butler University Clowes Memorial Hall, 4600 Sunset Ave.

Henry Louis Gates has attracted the world’s attention to Harvard's Afro-American Studies program since he took over as its chair in 1991. He has taken African-American studies beyond the ideological bent of the 1970s and 1980s black power movement, and brought it into a scholarly sphere that is equivalent to all other disciplines.

Author of several groundbreaking books, Gates lists as his most significant achievement “Encarta Africana,” the 2 million word Pan-African encyclopedia that he researched, funded and published over the course of 25 years. He recently researched and produced “America Behind The Color Line,” the award-winning PBS documentary that premiered in 2005.

Dr. John Hope Franklin is one of the world's most renowned and revered historians of African-American and American History. Currently, at the age of 91, he is James B. Duke Professor of History Emeritus, and for seven years was professor of legal history at Duke University's Law School. Inspired by his lifelong example as an academician, historian, intellectual innovator and civil rights activist, Duke University developed the John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies, a museum and unique consortium of programs committed to revitalizing how knowledge is gained and exchanged. Franklin is best known for “From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans,” now in its eighth edition. The recipient of 128 honorary degrees, he was featured in the PBS documentary “First Person Singular: John Hope Franklin,” which chronicled his life experiences. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.


Free and open to the public, but a ticket is required. Tickets may be obtained at the Clowes Hall box office.

If this event sounds interesting, you should check out the conversation with Tavis Smiley February 2.

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