We're saddened by this news but not surprised, given the weather forecast for much of the Eastern Seaboard. As CNN reports:
Sunday's dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington has been postponed because of Hurricane Irene's expected advance on the U.S. East Coast, an organizer said Thursday evening.
Harry Johnson Sr., head of the memorial's foundation, said that the last event of a series that had been planned for the weekend would be a national prayer service on Saturday. The dedication of the memorial will be moved to a still undetermined date in September or October, he said.
Johnson and other organizers had said five hours earlier that the dedication would go forward as scheduled. But Thursday evening, Johnson told reporters that foundation officials changed their mind after consulting with officials and forecasters.
President Barack Obama was scheduled to dedicate the site, near Washington's Tidal Basin between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, in a ceremony starting at 11 a.m. Sunday.
We're glad they decided to keep everyone safe and out of harm's way. It was the right decision. We at The Root will be there when the dedication does take place. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated on the latest news about the monument and surrounding festivities.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network is reporting that it will still hold the planned March for Jobs and Justice on Aug. 27.
In other news: Acquittal for Woman Who Recorded Cops.
Sheryl Huggins Salomon is senior editor-at-large of The Root and a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based editorial consultant. Follow her on Twitter.