And the African American scholar and author John Hope Franklin has died. Franklin pioneered the field of African American studies. His book From Slavery to Freedom is considered a definitive work on the African American experience. Franklin recently spoke about the significance of President Obama’s ascent to the White House.

John Hope Franklin: “It’s amazing. It’s remarkable. And it’s an indication of the willingness as well as the ability of this country to turn a significant corner toward full political equality. I didn’t think it would happen in my lifetime. My mother and I used to have a game we’d play, 'our public.' She would say, 'If anybody asks you what you want to be when you grow up, tell them you want to be the first Negro president of the United States.' And just the words were so far-fetched, so incredible, that we used to really have fun just saying it. I’m hesitant to talk about the obstacles. They exist. And anyone who’s lived in the United States ten minutes knows that they exist. The question is, does he have the capacity and the resources to overcome them. And I believe he does.”