As a junior in college, Francine Childs traveled to the University of Texas at Austin in 1956 to see Martin Luther King Jr. conduct a workshop, not knowing that she would have the opportunity to meet and speak with him.
Seven years after her chance meeting, she traveled to Washington, D.C., and saw King speak once again at the March on Washington and accepted his challenge to help change the world.
Fifty years later, Childs, professor emerita in the department of African-American studies, will speak at the event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Wednesday.
The event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, University College, Residential Housing, the College of Fine Arts, the School of Music and the Campus Involvement Center.
The commemoration will feature live music by local musicians Sharell Arocho and Bruce and Gay Dalzell, as well as videos, multiple speakers and a reading of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.“I was inspired by what I heard, and it led me to the choices I made in my life,” he said. “Athens is the kind of community where people are socially minded, so it seemed like the right project for our town and students.”
The 50th anniversary is a special point to stop and reflect on what has happened since the march, said Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of the Multicultural Center.
“Many times we look at history like, ‘That was 50 years ago, and we’ve come a long way,’ ” she said, “and yes, we have, but we can tell that there is still a lot more that can clearly happen.”
The learning community programs are urging students to attend the commemoration and learn how to make a difference, said Wendy Merb-Brown, director of the learning community programs at University College.
“I want students to understand that every voice matters,” she said. “The march started with people who felt that there were injustices happening, and they wanted to speak up. Students should stand up to injustices they see so we do not repeat our mistakes.”
Expressing and debating opinions is an important part of receiving a well-rounded university education, Chunnu-Brayda added.
“Students have a responsibility to understand the challenges that exist in one’s society,” she said. “I hope people come and listen to get a sense of what happened 50 years ago and ask what they can do to help the future.”
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