People
Francine C. Childs: Ohio University professor of African American Studies
A short, sourced profile of Dr. Francine C. Childs, Ohio University's first tenured Black professor and a longtime teacher of African American Studies.
In short
Dr. Francine C. Childs (died May 3, 2023) was a professor of African American Studies at Ohio University for nearly forty years. She joined the faculty in 1974, became the university's first tenured Black professor in 1977, helped establish the African American Studies department and was the first woman to chair it.
- Born
- Wellington, Texas
- Died
- May 3, 2023
- University
- Ohio University, from 1974
- First
- First tenured Black professor at Ohio University (1977)
- Honors
- Ohio University honorary degree (1997)
Who was Francine Childs?
Francine C. Childs was a scholar and teacher of African American Studies who spent nearly four decades at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Ohio University News reports that she was born in Wellington, Texas, joined the faculty in 1974 as an associate professor, and in 1977 became the first tenured Black professor at the university.
What did she build?
She was instrumental in establishing the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and was the first woman to chair it. The university credits her with scholarships, help with book purchases and advising programs that kept African American Studies students enrolled and succeeding. She was known for hosting students in her home.
How is she honored?
Ohio University awarded her an honorary degree in 1997, and both the Francine Childs Diversity Leadership Award and the Rev. Dr. Francine C. Childs Social Justice Scholarship Endowment bear her name. She also received the Peace Corps Black Educator of the Year award in 1989 and a university Presidential Award in 1992. She died on May 3, 2023.
Why is she on this site?
This address was used for a page about her on an earlier site on this domain, and we kept it so old links still work. Teachers who, like Childs, bring the history of the freedom movement into college classrooms are part of how Fannie Lou Hamer is remembered. Our lesson plan is a starting point for that work.
Questions readers ask
What was Francine Childs known for at Ohio University?
Building support for African American Studies students: scholarships, help buying books and advising programs, as well as decades of teaching. A diversity leadership award and a social justice scholarship there carry her name.
Sources
- University community mourns Francine Childs, African American Studies professor emeritaOhio University News, May 2023
- Scholarship honors professor emerita who inspired studentsOhio University News, September 2020
We checked every date and name on this page against the sources above. If you find an error, write to contact@fannielouhamer.info.
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