Located on the Tidal Basin, the 30-foot tall King Memorial iscarved into a 450-foot granite wall bearing one of his notablequotes: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

Leaders from the credit union industry were among the thousandsof visitors who traveled to Washington to take in the Oct. 16unveiling and dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Memorial.

Since 2007, credit unions, leagues trade groups and otherswithin the movement raised $1.4 million to aid in building themonument to honor the slain civil rights pioneer.

The African American Credit Union Coalition spearheaded a campaignto raise funds. Several current and past AACUC board directors and members were there to witness theKing Memorial festivities on the National Mall: Sheilah Montgomery,AACUC chairperson; Hubert Hoosman, funding development chairman;Barbara Stephens, conference committee chairperson; MelindaEdmonds, membership committee chairperson; Bob Harvey, past AACUCchairperson, Lynette Smith of Washington Gas & Light FCU, andMichael Ray of Congressional FCU.

Master Lei Yixin, carver of the King Memorial, is pictured, fromleft, with AACUC Chairperson Sheilah Montgomery; Hubert Hoosman,CEO of Vantage CU, and AACUC Board Members Barbara Stephens,Lynette Smith and Michael Ray.

Vantage CEO Hubert Hoosman attended one of the King Memorialevents where civil rights activist and longtime Rep. John Lewis(D-Ga.) was in attendance. Hoosman, who heads up a $668 million St.Louis-area credit union, was a determined fundraiser for the newKing Memorial. Just ask N.C. SECU CEO Jim Blaine.

Clothing designer and tycoon Tommy Hilfiger, shown here at thededication with Hubert Hoosman, was a major backer of the KingMonument effort. The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation provided$6.25 million and board leadership to the project, as did othermajor corporations, including General Motors. Luminaries from theworld of business, politics and sports were at the dedication,which included musical performances from Aretha Franklin, StevieWonder, James Taylor and Sheryl Crow. President Barack Obama alsospoke.