John Hope Franklin Symposium & Gala to Be Held June 26-27

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

DURHAM, NC -- A two-day symposium that features nationally recognized scholars discussing education issues, as well as an awards gala, will be held next week to honor the contributions of historian John Hope Franklin.

Franklin, 93, is the James B. Duke professor emeritus of history at Duke University and the namesake of the school's John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies.

The symposium will be held at the Washington Duke Inn (3001 Cameron Blvd., Durham), from 1-7 p.m. Thursday, June 26, and from 8:30 a.m. until noon Friday, June 27. The awards gala begins at 6 p.m. Friday.

During the reception and gala, John Hope Franklin medallions will be awarded to three individuals who reflect Franklin's overall standard of excellence. They are: Norman Francis, the 40-year president of Xavier University of Louisiana; Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor; and philanthropist Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, a former Duke University trustee and chair of the Duke Endowment.

Tickets are $350 for the symposium and gala; $125 for the gala only. Net proceeds from the event will go to the Durham Literacy Center, which provides tuition-free literacy instruction to adults, out-of-school youth, and speakers of other languages.

2008 John Hope Franklin Awardees

Norman Francis, the 40-year president of Xavier University of Louisiana, is the longest sitting president in American higher education. He is also a prominent national leader on education, civil rights and civic issues. He has served in an advisory role to five presidential administrations and was a member of the National Committee on Excellence in Education that produced 'A Nation at Risk'.

Alvin Poussaint, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is an expert on race relations in the United States, the dynamics of prejudice and issues of diversity as American society becomes increasingly multicultural. Poussaint is also co-author with Bill Cosby of the controversial best-seller, Come On People.

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, a member of Duke University's founding family, is a long-time artistic, civic and philanthropic leader in North Carolina and a vocal proponent for equal opportunity, adequate housing for the disadvantaged and the prevention of violence. She and her second husband were among the original founders of the N.C. School for the Arts.

"Dr. Franklin has been our inspirational leader and guiding light, always thinking about empowerment for the disadvantaged and less fortunate within our society," said Reginald Hodges, executive director of the Durham Literacy Center.

The magazine Diverse: Issues In Higher Education is sponsoring the symposium, which will examine the best practices and strategies for academic excellence and leadership in higher education.

"The panel topics were chosen because they represent some of the most vexing challenges facing underrepresented minorities in higher education," said Maya Minter, editorial vice president of Diverse. "Our panelists have the unique knowledge and experience to inform and inspire solutions."

For more information about the symposium and to purchase tickets, go to www.diverseeducation.com or call 1-800-783-3199, x3024.