By Neal Reid
Auburn University
The legacy of Harold A. Franklin, Auburn University’s first African American student, will live on forever through a specially designed desegregation marker expanse that was unveiled on campus at a recent celebration ceremony.
The area near the marker – adjacent to the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, where he first registered for classes – commemorates Franklin’s courageous efforts to desegregate the land-grant institution and has been expanded with hardscaping and landscaping enhancements, including a new bronze plaque and circular, brick courtyard. Franklin, who died Sept. 9 at 88, integrated Auburn as the university’s first Black student on Jan. 4, 1964, coming to the Plains as a graduate school enrollee.
The AlabamaWx Weather Blog gladly brings you an excerpt of this article through a partnership with the Alabama NewsCenter. You can see the complete post featuring all the associated images and videos by clicking HERE.
