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Tayari's Blog: To Sir, With Love

Posted by TayariJones on March 26, 2009 02:36 AM
Filed under Current Events

(This was originally posted on April 22, 2007)

Far be it from me to jugde anyone for being a groupie. From time to time, I put the fan in fanatic and I think it is a healthy way to express yourself. So when I call my friend, Raquel, a "hard-core groupie", please don't take it the wrong way.

Rocky came to DC yesterday, all the way from Bloomington Indiana. She invited me to a show. I could get the tickets from ticketmaster. (Y'all know I love myself a concert, so I agreed, still fuzzy on the details.) I hopped on line. "What am I searching for?" I asked her, all while clicking keys.

"John Hope Franklin," she sighed.
"The historian?"
"Yes," said Rocky. "I just love him."

Well, different strokes and all of that. Some people love the Brand New Heavies, other, more sensible people, like Rocky, have a thing for 92-year-old historians who have changed the world.

Although "An Evening With John Hope Franklin" didn't start until 7:30, we decided to leave the hotel at 6:00. After all, Rocky reasoned, it was general admission. We needed to score a good seat. I am glad we headed out so early because the lobby of the hotel was mobbed, police choppers were overhead, fancy-dressed men and women kissed each other on both cheeks. "What's happening?" I asked one of the million security guards-- one of the ones dressed like police. I didn't bother the men in black. One refused to say. Another said, "Sanjaya is coming!" The protesters out front, who wore orange jumpsuits said, "The white house correspondents dinner is tonight."

So there you have it. A Washington moment.

The historic Lincoln Theatre was quite a departure from the privileged zoo-scene at the hotel. A few people stood out front purchasing tickets from the cute and sort of flirty teenaged boy inside the ornate ticket booth. He needed me to verify my address. Smile. Verify my phone number, double smile.

Upon entering the theatre, I was struck by the scent of Afrocentrism-- patchouli and sandlewood. It took me back me college.

The evening with John Hope Franklin was strangely eclectic. The crowd was a bit on the sparse side-- about one hundred people in a theatre that seats about 700. The evening opened with a handsome radio personality wearing a gorgeous kufi and reading from the Koran. Then, Mr. Franklin was interviewed for about an hour. There was a break while martial arts students performed. Mr. Franklin returned to the stage and spoke some more. Then, the MC read a poem in opposition to the cervical cancer vaccine. There was a four minute intermission. Then, two sopranos sang songs made famous by Paul Robeson. Mr. Franklin received an award and the program was over.

Raquel said, "We have to rush the stage! I want him to sign my book."

We finally got the courage to go up to the stage although people on the loud speakers were telling everyone to get out. As we waited in line to shake his hand, Raquel, who holds a PhD from Harvard University told me why John Hope Franklin means so much to her.

"When I finished Harvard, everyone was saying I could write my own ticket, but as a black woman in computer science, I was still having to work so hard just to be considered for basic appointments. When I read John Hope Franklin's work and saw what he experienced at Harvard and how he put his education to use, it changed the way I saw things. John Hope Franklin gave value to my Harvard PhD."

When we finally got to the stage. He signed her book, and I took their picture together. She didn't tell him any long story. She kept it short and sweet.

"I love you, John Hope Franklin," she said.

photos, of course.