John Hope Franklin was one of the most well-known and influential scholars of his era and broke countless professional barriers along the way. Franklin was also the definition of a public intellectual, continuously lending his scholarship and influence to causes beyond the walls of academia.
The new Franklin Gallery@History, located at Duke University’s East Campus in the Carr Building where the scholar himself worked, will display four exhibits:
"John Hope Franklin: Imprint of an American Scholar"
Curated by John Gartrell, Director, Franklin Research Center, Duke University
This exhibition explores John Hope Franklin’s indelible imprint on the classroom, the institution, his public and private relationships, and his life’s work of utilizing history and knowledge to cultivate a better human society. The exhibit concludes with an itinerary of his profile as an international scholar.
"Internationalisms and Solidarities"
This exhibit captures the circulation of ideas and snap- shots of individuals and activists who reached out across boundaries and borders in their struggles, showcasing links between international and domestic political mobilizations from the 1920s to the 2010’s. A composite portrait of intellectual-biographical and political art of the 20th century in two segments that bridge the NAACP and the Dalit [Untouchable] Movement in India to the Art of the Cultural Revolution.
"From NAACP to AIDMA [All India Dalit Women’s Rights Forum]"
Curated by Sucheta Mazumdar, Associate Professor, Department of History
Profiles of the long history of engagement of African-American, Asian, and Asian-American activists, to introduce conversations linked in a common struggle for racial justice and international solidarity ranging from W. E. B. Du Bois and B. R. Ambedkar, Gandhi and King, to C. L. R. James and Grace Lee Boggs, Black Panthers and the SF Third World Student Strike, to the current mobilizations of AIDMAM reaching out to Angela Davis.
"Building Solidarity: Themes in Chinese Cultural Revolution"
Curated by Sucheta Mazumdar
Of the many different types of art posters produced in China during the Cultural Revolution, an important genre was devoted to staging solidarity. In this selection of posters from Duke’s Rubenstein Collection, the art portrays projects of building solidarity through the combination of workers, peasants, soldiers and students marching together; ethnic minorities in community dances and wedding celebrations, and images of the whole world rising in solidarity with Mao looking on. The Cultural Revolution style of art with its signature use of radiating rays with its bold slogans in woodcut or painted Socialist Realist art style, used Maoism as inspiration for solidarity and was emulated by many activist groups worldwide, including the Black Panther movement.
“Internationalisms and Solidarities” Curatorial Assistant: Alta Zhuyun Zhang, Graduate Student, Digital Art History Program
Cultural Revolution Timeline: Luo Zhou, Chinese Studies Librarian, Duke University
For more information, you can write to Prof. Sucheta Mazumdar, Chair, Franklin Gallery Committee & Project Director at skmmaz@duke.edu.
Funding for the exhibit came from the Provost’s Office, Humanities Futures Initiative at the Franklin Humanities Institute, Franklin Research Center, History Department, Global Asia Initiative, Asia Pacific Studies Institute, and the Duke Human Rights Center at the Kenan Institute for Ethics.
Camera by Eric Barstow.
Video editing by Nonnie Egbuna, Class of 2020, Duke University.