Watch First Person Singular: John Hope Franklin (1997) Official Trailer

Charles Kuralt takes an revealing look at the life and career of African-American historian John Hope Franklin in this profile of the Harvard-educated writer whose book From Slavery to Freedom spotlighted the role of blacks in building America. Though facing incredible obstacles, Franklin scaled the stone wall of racism to become a scholar and activist, helping Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King and others change a nation.