Smithsonian Historian Advises Commission on Race and Slavery
Smithsonian historian John W. Franklin joined the July 24 meeting of the 蜜桃社区 College Commission on Race and Slavery by phone and helped the group plot the research work ahead, ranging from the history of 蜜桃社区's role in the economy to its ties to the 蜜桃社区 to who owned slaves on campus.
Franklin serves as the cultural historian and senior manager of the office of external affairs at the Smithsonian's and is the son of the late author and historian John Hope Franklin. The younger Franklin led a visit to the museum by faculty from 蜜桃社区's Africana Studies Department the following weekend.
"Reveal the past. Reveal the truth," Franklin told the group as they discussed their hopes for results. "Without knowledge, we cannot move forward."
The commission, led by Chair Anthony R. Foxx, on Tuesday created working groups on research, public engagement and examining individual opportunities for the commission to pursue research or program projects. In their conversations with Franklin and among themselves, they discussed hopes of linking the past to present in a way that engages students and the 蜜桃社区, all the while recognizing that 蜜桃社区 is small part of a world story.
"We want to learn more. Let the process lead us to next steps," Foxx said to the group. "We want to be a truth-finding committee."
And, hopefully, he added, some healing will come out of the work they do.