We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.
John Hope FranklinRead
It was necessary, as a black historian, to have a personal agenda.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A black historian must prioritize their personal agenda to effectively document history.
John Hope Franklin emphasizes the importance of personal perspective and agenda in the work of a historian, particularly for those who belong to marginalized communities. He suggests that personal experiences and insights are crucial for authentic historical narratives, especially when representing the histories of black individuals and their contributions, which may otherwise be overlooked or misrepresented.
Themes
HistoryAgendaPerspectiveBlackNarrative
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about black history, this quote can highlight the importance of personal narratives.
More from John Hope Franklin
All quotes βSimilar quotes
Robinson was important to all blacks. To make it into the majors and to take all the name calling, he had to be something special. He had to take all this for years, not just for Jackie Robinson, but for the nation.
Willie MaysRead
History is simply a piece of paper covered with print: the main thing is to make history, not to write it.
Otto Von BismarckRead
My mom, Clida, taught my four brothers and me about her father's work to organize black voters in rural Louisiana in the 1950s. We carried her dad's legacy of activism with us. The Civil Rights Movement was present in the daily life of my family in Detroit in the 1970s.
Keith EllisonRead
You gotta understand - the state of Mississippi was in rebellion. It had rebelled against the United States. Now that has been a very difficult story for America to tell, but that's what actually happened.
James MeredithRead
The epic story of the West is the development in the 19th century of a mass prosperity the world had never seen and its near-disappearance in one nation after another in the 20th.
Edmund PhelpsRead
If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot be successful in Afghanistan, I think it was the Soviet experience.
Robert M. GatesRead