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OU Prof Has Her Own Dream

Francine Childs was planning to be in Washington DC tomorrow.

That's when a dedication ceremony was going to be held for the new Martin Luther King Junior memorial.

"I'm glad the day has come," she says.

Childs is Professor Emerita of African American Studies at Ohio University and was active in the Civil Rights Movement.

The King memorial project started 27 years ago and Childs says she opened her pocketbook to help foot the bill.

"I did not just see him as a black man. I saw him as a leader."

Over the years there have been squabbles over everything from the design to the
sculptor to the funding of the King memorial.

Childs says she's been saddened by the bickering.

"That has broken my heart."

It's been a bumpy road, but in the end, King's family and friends say they're pleased with
the results of the new memorial in Washington.

And Childs feels that way, too.

"I still have a dream."

Because of Hurricane Irene, Childs will have more time to arrange for transportation to Washington.

The dedication ceremony has been indefinitely postponed.