Mirror To America

In this memoir of a long life, distinguished historian and scholar of African American studies John Hope Franklin, who was born in 1915, recalls the America which he knew firsthand: "I grew up in a racial climate that was stifling to my senses and damaging to my emotional health and well-being....That climate touched me at every stage of my life." He tells of the long struggle, in the 20th century, to change the way things were. Franklin was part of that struggle, as a teacher and as the author of many books, most notably FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM. Through many anecdotes, Franklin offers a self-portrait that many of his students long have requested. He recalls those who helped him along the way, reviews his public career, and expresses gratitude for his great and abiding attachment to scholarship and the study, teaching, and writing of history. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 2005.