A movement is afoot to commemorate the life and achievements of Duke history professor John Hope Franklin with a commemorative postage stamp.

"Dr. Franklin was an inspiration," writes U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, D-North Carolina, in a letter to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee. "He taught at leading institutions in the U.S. and abroad. He served on national commissions and delegations. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor ... Dr. Franklin's legacy will endure for generations."

The citizen's committee evaluates the merits of all stamp proposals and advises the U.S. Postal Service on decisions regarding new stamps. 

A revered scholar of the American South and author of the seminal "From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans," Franklin died in 2009 at the age of 94. 

Those who support the effort to commemorate Franklin's life with a new stamp are urged to lobby their members of Congress or write to the stamp committee directly at: Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Development, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300, Washington, DC 20260-3501.